Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Robertson, Diodoro go at it mano a mano for trainer title
Most trainers won’t admit to chasing a training title, but the way Mac Robertson and Robertino Diodoro have been entering races at Canterbury Park suggest both men covet the 2018 crown.
On Friday, the penultimate day of the Canterbury meet, Robertson entered 13 horses in nine of the card’s 13 races. Diodoro has an incredible 19 entrants in eight races.
The two go head to head in both Friday night stakes, the $50,000 John Bullit and the $50,000 Tom Metzen H.B.P.A. Sprint. In the 1 1/16-mile John Bullit (race 11, post time 9:52 Central), Diodoro entered Patriot’s Rule and Izzy the Warrior; Robertson has Malibu Max and Beach Flower, who is a mare facing males. In the six-furlong H.B.P.A. Sprint (race 12, 10:21), Diodoro has Bourbon Cowboy, Coastline, and Super Touch. Robertson counters with the salty Minnesota-bred Hot Shot Kid, who looks like the horse to beat.
Since Aug. 1, Robertson has 25 wins from 93 Canterbury starters, Diodoro 23 wins from 82 starts, and no other Canterbury trainer more than nine wins. Robertson, however, has gone 11 for 34 during September to Diodoro’s 4 for 20, and enters this week’s racing with a 53 to 50 lead in the standings.
The Robertson-trained Malibu Max is the pick to win the John Bullit. Malibu Max hasn’t tried a two-turn dirt race like the Bullit since he finished sixth in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap early this spring, and two previous Oaklawn routes were plenty good enough to capture Friday night’s stakes race. Underpressure, trained by Chris Richard, looks like another key player.
Hot Shot Kid must cope with the rail draw in the H.B.P.A. Sprint but has won from the fence before. Robertson cut him back from routes to Friday’s six-furlong trip on Sept. 2, and Hot Shot Kid responded with a three-length win over fellow Minnesota-breds in the $75,000 Minnesota Sprint Championship. Hot Shot Kid is 6-2-0 from eight starts over Canterbury’s dirt track and his last loss there came to the standout Mr. Jagermeister.
First post for the marathon 13-race card, which drew a whopping 162 entrants, is 5:07.
Different kinds of horses
Into Trouble, winner of the $75,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie on Saturday, and Big Drink of Water, who captured the $75,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity on the same card, are much different types of horses, and plans for their respective fall campaigns reflect that.
Big Drink of Water, who won earlier this year at 4 1/2 and 5 1/2 furlongs, will stick to sprint races on synthetic surfaces for the time being and is being pointed to the $100,000 Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Stakes, a six-furlong race Oct. 4 at Presque Isle Downs. Big Drink of Water, purchased privately by Vince Foglia’s Patricia’s Hope LLC after winning the Victoria Stakes at Woodbine, managed to stay seven furlongs on Saturday but earned only a 65 Beyer Speed Figure in the Futurity.
“He came out of the race good and goes back to the track tomorrow,” trainer Larry Rivelli said Wednesday.
Into Trouble also exited her Arlington race in good order, trainer Ben Colebrook said Wednesday, and already has resumed training. Colebrook confirmed that Into Trouble, who won her debut going seven furlongs on dirt at Ellis Park, would make her twoturn debut next month in the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland.
Into Trouble got only a 68 Beyer for her Lassie win, but there are reasons to think that number doesn’t necessarily hard-cap her potential. Into Trouble, a large-framed filly with a very chill personality, missed the break in the Lassie and was the only horse on the entire Saturday card to make a successful sustained run in a one-turn race over Arlington’s speed-favoring Polytrack. Jockey Chris Emigh said he never really asked his mount for her best, and that she felt like a horse who would appreciate more distance and another turn.
Good Bye Greg keeping busy
Good Bye Greg is a 7-year-old with a host of physical issues. Why waste whatever miles he has left training? That was how his connections approached his schedule this month.
Good Bye Greg won Sept. 2 at Arlington for a $50,000 claiming price, getting home by a head at a 6 1/2-furlong distance longer than ideal. The same day, trainer Larry Rivelli entered Good Bye Greg in another Arlington race scheduled for Sept. 7. Good Bye Greg went to the track one day between starts. Then, in again for $50,000, he went out and scored a seven-length blowout. Good Bye Greg got a 100 Beyer, the first triple-digit figure of his career.
“It’s not like something is about to fall off, but everybody around here knows he has his problems,” said Rivelli. “He’s one of those horses you can’t claim him, and you can’t beat him. He’s just an old warrior.”
◗ Beyond Blame probably is headed to the Valley View Stakes at Keeneland for her next start, trainer Brad Cox said. Beyond Blame won the $200,000 Indiana Grand Stakes on Sept. 5. This past spring she captured the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill