Twisted Tom is class of The Evan Shipman
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Twisted Tom is coming off an outstanding sophomore season in which the now 4-year-old gelding won six of seven starts and was voted New York-bred champion 3-year-old.
Two of those victories came versus open company in Maryland, where Twisted Tom swept Laurel’s Kentucky Derby preps, the Private Terms and Federico Tesio. A troubled sixth in the Belmont followed, but the son of Creative Cause bounced back by winning the New York Derby and Albany Stakes over the summer – the second and third legs of the Big Apple Triple – and then besting older horses by three lengths in the Empire Classic on Oct. 21.
Returning from a nine-month layoff in the Saginaw Stakes on July 13, Twisted Tom faded to fourth as the odds-on favorite. He has been training forwardly at Belmont and is the second choice at 3-1 on the morning line for today’s $100,000 Evan Shipman Stakes for statebred horses 3&up. Twisted Tom is 3-for-3 at the Shipman’s 1 1/8-mile distance.
Favoritism in the Evan Shipman goes to Pat on the Back at 2-1. The Congrats colt signaled his readiness for today’s race by winning the aforementioned Saginaw Stakes by 1 ¾ lengths. The victory ended a seven-race winless streak. The $534k-earner has been on a steady diet of stakes over the past 15 months.
Control Group (9-2) is another entrant who has had success outside the statebred ranks – and at 1 1/8 miles. The son of Posse won last year’s Discovery Stakes (G3) by three lengths as the 5-2 favorite. He’s won 4-of-6 starts in 2018 and comes into today’s race off a pair of two-turn scores at Finger Lakes. Control sports a 5-0-1 record at 1 1/8 miles.
Wine Not (5-1) exits a runnerup finish in the Saginaw in what was his stakes debut. The 5-yearold gelded son of First Dude has won only three of 20 starts, and two of those were by a neck. He has been working well at Belmont and Saratoga, however, and – despite only one try at the Shipman distance – has plenty of experience around two turns.
Can You Diggit (8-1), Hit It Once More (10-1), Papa Shot (12-1) and Winston’s Chance (12-1) round out the eight-horse field.