3yr old division still wide open, Baffert’s Coil could do the trick with a strong summer and fall
It remains unclear who is heading towards the ultimate glory of becoming the Horse of the Year because at this point in the season there is no clear cut winner and, neither any horse , male or female, is in contention for the Horse of the Year.
Recently, the two most important stakes races of the summer meet unfolded in the shape of the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes and the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational Stakes.
The Bob Baffert trained Coil, wrapped up the 31 July, 2011, Haskell Invitational against the Preakness Stakes' winner, Shackleford, at Monmouth Park.
On the other hand, Todd Pletcher trained Stay Thirsty went on to win the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes on 30 July at Saratoga.
These two colts have respectively won the races and, they have earned the spot to be under consideration for the 3-year-old honours, at least.
Both of them are on a collision course, because both of them are being considered to contest in the Grade 1 Travers Stake on 27 August, 2011.
History certainly favours the Jim Dandy Stakes winners, because 15 of them have gone on to win the Travers Stakes and, only three Haskell winners have won the 1 ¼ miles event.
Bob Baffert has announced on 1 August, that his Haskell winning colt came out of the race scratch less and, will van to Saratoga where he will participate in the Travers Stakes. It will also depend on how well Coil trains up till the race.
Bob Baffert was high on Coil’s performance even after the race, he kept reminding that how he won the race even after a bad break, he kept on going and took on the Kelly Breen favoured duo and rallied a much experienced Shackleford to victory.
Coil who was ridden by Martin Garcia in the Haskell Invitational is a son of Point Given. He was also trained by Bob Baffert, Point Given was the U.S Horse of the Year at the age 3, in the same year when he won the Belmont, Haskell and the Travers Stakes.
The 3-year-old chestnut colt of Point Given did not run in any of the Triple Crown races, because he had a surgery to go through last year right before his maiden. Coil ran an allowance race on 6 May, a day before the Kentucky Derby was run.
But the Haskell champion has won four of his last five races, and he also earned a 96 Beyer speed figure for the 1 1/8 mile event at Monmouth Park, which he covered in 1 minute and 48.20 seconds.
Dale Romans is considering the Travers Stakes and the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes on 3 September for his colt Shackleford, if the colt goes for the $750,000 Woodward Stakes then the colt will have time to recover from the Haskell rigors he suffered.
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