Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Plan B next for Caribou Club
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The $150,000 Artie Schiller Stakes is figuratively and literally a long way from the Breeders’ Cup Mile. But it could end up being an ideal backup plan for Caribou Club, who on Wednesday was one of 10 horse entered in Saturday’s Artie Schiller going one mile at Aqueduct.
Despite having won three stakes, two of which were graded, Caribou Club was not selected into the body of the field for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, run last Saturday at Santa Anita. His connections did enter him as an also-eligible, and though he would have drawn into the field after scratches, trainer Tom Proctor didn’t want to have the outside post in a full field of 14 and never shipped the horse west.
While post position concerned Proctor regarding the Breeders’ Cup, course condition is Proctor’s concern regarding the Artie Schiller. Proctor wants firm ground for Caribou Club. Rain was in the forecast late Thursday, but depending which forecast you believe, there could be less than a quarter-inch of rain.
Still, Proctor said he planned to drive to Aqueduct on Friday to walk the course before he decides whether to send Caribou Club up on Saturday.
“If I don’t like it I won’t ship him Saturday morning,” Proctor said.
Plan C would be the Grade 2, $200,000 Seabiscuit Handicap on Nov. 30 at Del Mar.
Caribou Club, a 5-year-old gelding by City Zip, is coming off back-to-back stakes wins at Mountaineer on Aug. 3 and the Grade 3 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup on Sept. 21 at Laurel, beating Frontier Market by a head in a course record of 1:33.35 for a mile. Frontier Market, trained by Chad Brown, is back in the Artie Schiller.
“He floated a bit near the wire, but he’ll do that,” Proctor said of Caribou Club.
There looks to be plenty of speed signed up for the Artie Schiller, with the likes of Voodoo Song, Gidu, Dr. Edgar, and Abiding Star in the field. Others entered include Curlin’s Honor, Golden Brown, Gunnison, and Just Howard. Free Enterprise and Stan the Man are entered to run only if the race is moved to the main track.
Full field for Atlantic Beach
The $100,000 Atlantic Beach for 2-year-olds going a mile on Saturday is a popular race as 14 were entered. Only 12 will be permitted to start in the sixfurlong turf stakes.
The field includes Freewheeler, Embolden, and Jack and Noah, the second-, thirdand fourth-place finishers behind Four Wheel Drive in the Grade 3 Futurity on Oct. 6 at Belmont. Four Wheel Drive won last week’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.
The $100,000 Pumpkin Pie Stakes, originally scheduled for closing day at Belmont, was redrawn for Saturday. The race lost major players Ms Locust Point and Chalon. Those who entered back are Philanthropic, Saguaro Row, Pink Sands, Majestic Reason, and Last True Love.
Tax staying home for Discovery
After flirting with the idea of sending Tax to Churchill Downs for Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Commonwealth Turf for 3-year-olds, trainer Danny Gargan said the goal for the Jim Dandy winner will be the Grade 3, $250,000 Discovery on dirt on Nov. 30 at Aqueduct.
Gargan has repeatedly said that when he claimed Tax for $50,000 in October 2018 he thought he was going to have a horse that wanted to run long on turf. But the gelding’s success on dirt has prevented Gargan from trying him on turf. After winning the Jim Dandy, Tax finished seventh to
Code of Honor in the Travers.
Tax was entered in the Oklahoma Derby on Sept. 29 at Remington Park but was scratched after he got sick shortly after shipping in.
Gargan said the likelihood of rain late in the week at Churchill Downs was one reason why he didn’t point Tax to the Commonwealth.
“I don’t want to run his first time on turf on a bad turf course,” Gargan said.
Tax has worked three times since he shipped back from Remington Park.
“He’s training better than he’s ever trained and he looks better than he’s ever looked,” Gargan said.
Meanwhile, Gargan is hoping he’s found another stakes winner at Keeneland’s claim box. On Oct. 23, he claimed the 2-year-old filly Glass Ceiling out of a win for maiden $40,000 claiming. Gargan plans to stretch out the daughter of Constitution from six furlongs to 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle on Dec. 7 at Aqueduct.
Gargan credited his assistant Rachel Keithan with bringing Glass Ceiling to his attention after she encountered trouble early and wasn’t persevered with late when finishing seventh in a maiden $150,000 claimer at Keeneland on Oct. 11.
“She said you need to watch a replay of that filly’s race,” Gargan said.
Glass Ceiling got off a little slow in her second start, took up a stalking position, then rallied along the rail to win going away.
Haikal nears return
Haikal, who won the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes in the spring, worked four furlongs in 50.90 seconds on Wednesday morning over the Belmont Park training track as he gets closer to a return to the races.
Haikal started five lengths behind a stablemate and made up all but one at the wire. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said the workmate, Qaabil, started too far in front at the beginning of the work.
Haikal finished third in the Wood Memorial and was scratched from the Kentucky Derby due to a foot injury. Haikal was originally supposed to just get a 30- to 45-day freshening after the Derby, but it turned into a longer layoff. He has worked seven times since Sept. 21.
“We’re getting there,” McLaughlin said. “He’s doing very well, we just have to pick out the right spot.”