Mr. Jagermeister returns from layoff

PHOENIX – Just like the chilly weather here, Mr. Jagermeister has blown in from the north for the winter, and he makes his first start of the year in Saturday’s $75,000 Phoenix Gold Cup at Turf Paradise.

Mr. Jagermeister, a Minnesota-bred who is based at Canterbury Park during the summer, makes his first start of the year in the six-furlong Gold Cup, which is for 4-year-olds and up and drew a field of six.

The Gold Cup goes as race 7 on an eight-race program that also includes the $30,000 Turf Paradise Handicap (race 8) and the $30,000 Sun City Handicap (race 5).

Mr. Jagermeister, a 4-year-old colt by Atta Boy Roy, is making his first start since rattling off three straight romping stakes wins over Minnesota-breds at Canterbury Park. Owned by Valorie Lund, Kristin Boice, and Leslie Cummings and trained by Lund, the colt went wire to wire in those three wins, the most recent coming Sept. 2.

While the last two victories came in route races, the win streak started in a six-furlong sprint. And Mr. Jagermeister is no stranger to these parts. He invaded a year ago and easily won an optional claimer. Regular rider Leandro Goncalves comes in for the ride.

Leading local trainer Robertino Diodoro sends out half the field: Izzy the Warrior, Never Give In, and Bourbon Cowboy. Bourbon Cowboy is also entered in the King Cotton at Oaklawn Saturday, but if he runs here he may be the most dangerous of Diodoro’s entrants. He enters off a second to Izzy the Warrior in the Bienvenidos on Oct. 13 and a third to Gold Cup entrant Minister of Soul in the Luke Kruytbosch Stakes on Nov. 10.

Minister of Soul, owned and trained by Esteban Martinez, went to Sunland Park after the Kruytbosch for the Dec. 29 KLAQ Handicap, but managed only a fifth. He returned here Jan. 19 and easily won the Hank Mills Sr. Stakes.

It wouldn’t be the Gold Cup without a Southern California raider, and this year Make It a Triple takes that role. Trained by Keith Craigmyle, Make It a Triple hasn’t won since last March, and spent last summer in the optional-claiming and California-bred stakes ranks in Southern California. This is his first start since Aug. 26.

◗ The Turf Paradise Handicap, at 1 1/16 miles on turf, drew a competitive field of 11.

Among the contenders are Rate for Me, coming off three straight wins on this course, including a 7 3/4-length romp over optional claimers Jan. 30; Thegloryisallmine, a winner of two straight here in the fall before finishing second to Southern California invader Ohio in the Cotton Fitzsimmons here Jan. 12; Consumerconfidence, an easy winner of two straight, including the Walter Cluer on this course in the fall, before finishing a wide ninth in the Cotton Fitzsimmons; and Gato Guapo, the 11-length winner of the Last Chance Derby on dirt here Dec. 26 and then third in the Fitzsimmons.

◗ The Sun City Handicap matches eight fillies and mares at a mile on the grass, with Medaglia Gold likely to be a heavy favorite. Trained by Shawn Davis, Medaglia Gold rattled off four straight wins, culminating with a 2 3/4-length score in the Queen of the Green here Nov. 24. She then set the pace and finished second to Southern California raider Impasse in the Glendale Handicap here Jan. 12.

Paddy’s Secret, the winner of this race last year, looks to bounce back after fading to seventh in the Glendale, while Gorgeous Ginny ran third in the Glendale, her first start in a couple of months.