Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Two-mile Jerkens should suit Nessy fine
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – There are a lot of variables involved when it comes to winning a stakes race. But there is one that matters a little more than most when it comes to winning Saturday’s $100,000 Allen Jerkens – who can stay the distance.
The Allen Jerkens is unique in the fact it is one of the few stakes races decided at two miles throughout the United States during the course of the season. Despite the grueling distance, there was no lack of interest in the race when entries were drawn here Wednesday. The race lured a full field of 13 long-winded competitors.
One horse among that baker’s dozen who should have no trouble staying the route is the veteran Nessy, who’ll seek to snap a four-race losing streak when he goes postward among the leading contenders in the Allen Jerkens.
Nessy suffered a couple of tough setbacks here last winter when finishing second going 1 1/2 miles in the Grade 3 W.L. McKnight and third at 1 3/8 miles in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida. But he was not to be denied shortly thereafter when shipping to Santa Anita to prove a popular winner of the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano in April.
“Winning the San Juan Capistrano was kind of a goal for the owner,” said Ian Wilkes, who trains Nessy for his breeder, Sierra Farm. “His form kind of tailed off after the Capistrano, so I just freshened him up a little bit during the fall with this race in mind. I’m pleased with the way he’s trained up to the race and one thing I do know for sure, the distance will not be an issue.”
Nessy is the only member of the field with experience at two miles, having finished sixth, beaten just less than nine lengths, in the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup on June 8.
“He got shuffled back a little at the start of the Gold Cup and while I know it’s a two-mile race, he’s a funny horse to ride and those kind of things can make a difference with him,” Wilkes said. “Plus, the competition was pretty strong in that race. They were just a little too good for him.”
Wilkes said if all goes well, he plans to put Nessy, who turns 6 on Tuesday, back on a similar schedule as last season with the McKnight, Mac Diarmida, and perhaps a return trip to California for the San Juan Capistrano likely on his 2019 calendar.
The remainder of the Jerkens lineup will include Archer Road, Camp Creek, Cullum Road, Ekhtibaar, Galope Americano, Lascaux, Porter Street, Seeking Albert, Soglio, Unbridled Holiday, Winter Union, and Without Remorse.
The Jerkens is one of six turf stakes on a card that also features the $100,000 Janus and its filly counterpart, the $100,000 Abundantia, both at five furlongs, along with the $75,000 Tropical Park Derby and Tropical Park Oaks, both for 3-year-olds to be run at 1 1/16 miles. The $75,000 Via Borghese at 1 3/16 miles for fillies and mares also is on tap.
Two allowances featured
A pair of allowance events will help spice up Friday’s 11-race card, beginning with a $47,000 entry-level turf contest at a mile that attracted a full field of 12 fillies and mares.
Trainer Chad Brown’s Icespire figures the one to beat making her second U.S. appearance. The well-bred daughter of Frankel finished second as the 4-5 favorite in her North American debut last April at Aqueduct. She has not started since, but shows a steady series of works since arriving at the Palm Meadows training center in November. Ferdinanda should be the main competition coming off a couple of secondplace finishes of her own this fall in New York.
One race later, a field of seven will assemble to go seven furlongs over the main track under high-priced optionalclaiming conditions vying for a $48,000 purse. Conquest Windycity, off a one-sided and well-graded victory against straight $50,000 claiming opposition last month at Churchill Downs, figures to be favored with Zulu expected to be his chief competition.