Seismic Wave makes return at best distance

Through trial and error, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has discovered that Seismic Wave is probably at his best at one mile. Sunday, Seismic Wave, a two-time listed stakes winner at that distance, will kick off his 4-year-old campaign in a one-mile allowance that serves as the feature on Gulfstream Park’s 11-race program.

Seismic Wave is by Tapit and has a strong late kick that would lead one to believe he could be effective in long-distance races. But after unsatisfactory performances in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby – a 1 1/4-mile race in which he went off the favorite – and the Saratoga Derby, it has become obvious to Mott that shorter is better for Seismic Wave.

“I tried him in those longer races because with his running style he made you believe he’d go further,” Mott said Friday from Florida. “I don’t think he’s a horse that really wanted to go further.”

Seismic Wave won three races last year as a 3-year-old, including a maiden win at 1 1/8 miles and the Cutler Bay going a mile, both at Gulfstream. He would not win again until he took the English Channel Stakes going a mile on Oct. 26 at Belmont Park, which happens to be his last start.

Mott had Seismic Wave aimed at a third-level allowance race at Churchill Downs, but he got excluded from that race and never shipped. Without a suitable spot in the first condition book at Belmont for Seismic Wave, Mott entered him in this spot.

Mott, who entered the weekend with 4,992 career victories, was asked if Seismic Wave was fit enough for his first start in eight months.

“If fitness is an issue, they better take my training license away,” Mott said.

Edgard Zayas rides Seismic Wave from the outside post in the seven-horse field.

Among Seismic Wave’s opponents is Temple. Mike Maker claimed Temple for $35,000 out of a win going a mile at Gulfstream last July. A 4-year-old gelding by Temple City, Temple won the Gio Ponti Stakes at Aqueduct and placed in three other listed stakes. He is coming off a second-level allowance win at Gulfstream going 1 1/8 miles on April 23 for which he earned a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We got lucky in that the rail opened up, otherwise it might have turned out to be a disaster,” Maker said of that April 23 win.

Temple may be a little bit better running farther than a mile, but “I’m hoping his class prevails,” Maker said.

Maker said if things go well Sunday, Temple could be a candidate for the Wise Dan Stakes at Churchill next month.

There does appear to be enough speed in Sunday’s field for both Seismic Wave and Temple.

Renaisance Frolic was a front-running winner of an allowance race last November at Churchill Downs before running fourth in an off-theturf stakes at Fair Grounds to end his 4-year-old campaign. He will be making his first start for Saffie Joseph Jr. in this spot.

Class and Cash, trained by Jane Cibelli, also has speed. Class and Cash is coming off a fourth-place finish behind Halladay in a high-class allowance race. Halladay came back to win a stakes in his next start.

Colonist, Tizzarunner, and Monarchs Glen, all in for the optional-claiming tag of $100,000, round out the field.