125th running of Grade III Toboggan Saturday
OZONEPARK, N.Y. » Shadwell Stables’ Takaful will be looking to start his 4-yearold campaign on a strong note to set up a potential next stop against top-flight international competition as he leads a field of six in Saturday’s 125th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Toboggan on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Coming off a 10th place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint on November 4 at Del Mar, Takaful will be returning from a nearly three-month rest in running in the Big A’s first graded stakes of the new year.
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said the Ber- nardini colt had no excuses for his last-place Breeders’ Cup effort. Before that, Takaful posted triple- digit Beyer Speed Figures in three consecutive starts, including a win in the Grade 1 Vosburgh against older rivals on September 30 at Belmont Park.
“He’s doing very well, so we’re just drawing a line through the Breeders’ Cup. He just didn’t run that well,” McLaughlin said. “We’re just throwing it out and we’re just looking forward to this race.”
A solid effort in the Toboggan could set Takaful up for the Group 1, $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 31 at Meydan Racecourse.
“It could be a springboard to Dubai, we’ll see about that. He just needs to find a way to the winner’s circle,” McLaughlin said. “That will help us a lot with the decision.”
In his 3-year- old campaign, Takaful ran third in the Grade 2 Remsen, contested at 1 1/8 miles, seventh in the Grade 3 Jerome at one mile and 70 yards and eighth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at 1 1/16 miles. McLaughlin then concentrated his efforts on winning sprints, a decision that paid dividends with a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens at the Toboggan distance of seven furlongs and a onelength score in the six-furlong Vosburgh.
“The key was just turning back to sprinting. We tried him long and tried to make the Derby trail,” McLaughlin said. “That’s when we stopped and regrouped and decided to go back to sprinting. That was the answer. I think he might be a little better going six [furlongs], but he was second in the Jerkens. If it wasn’t for the weather, we would have probably preferred going six or six and a half, but seven should be no problem. He’ll have to carry a high weight, though if he runs his race, he’ll be very tough.”
Takaful will break from post 2 carrying the co-highweight of 123 pounds with jockey Trevor McCarthy.
Green Gratto will look to defend his Toboggan title, which was one of two graded stakes victories at Aqueduct for the son of Here’s Zealous in 2017, join- ing his Grade 1 Carter win by a neck over Unified on April 8.
Gaston Grant, who trains and is co- owner of Green Gratto along with his brother Anthony, will see the 8-year- old make his 62nd career start. He will be making his third straight appearance in the Toboggan, having run third in the 2016 edition.
Jockey Chris DeCarlo will break from the outside posts carrying 123 pounds.