Caleb’s Posse ready to upset a strong Met Mile Handicap on Memorial Day weekend
The Grade 1, $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park has reeled in a short but an immensely strong lineup to contest over the 1 mile dirt track of the Big Sandy on 28 May, 2012, as six horses prepare to take on each other on the Memorial Day weekend.
Trained by Bill Mott for Live Oak Plantation, To Honor and Serve, will likely be the horse to beat, especially after his brilliant start to the season with a win in the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes at Belmont Park over a mile, the same distance and venue of
the Met Mile Handicap.
Bred in Kentucky by Larry A. Byer, Rancho San Miguel, and Twin Creeks Farm, To Honor and Serve closed out the 2011 season with s victory as well, when he downed a strong lineup in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct racetrack on 26 November, 2011, defeating
Hymn Book in second and Calibrachoa in third, with the winning time of 1 minute and 33.89 seconds.
The winner of the 2011 Grade 1 Preakness Stakes, Shackleford will look to build up on his most recent and much awaited success in the Met Mile Handicap, after his brilliant victory to down the 2011 champion sprinter, Amazombie in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs
Stakes on the Kentucky Derby day.
Donnie K. Von Hemel trained Caleb’s Posse was absolutely magnificent in his 2011 sophomore season, and as a 4-year-old he has started on the same note, but yet to run a big victory.
In his two starts this season, the son of Posse finished second in the Grade 3 Tom Fool Stakes at six furlongs over the Aqueduct racetrack, and on the same venue went seven furlongs, but yet again finished second to, Jackson Bend, in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap.
The Kentucky bred defeated Uncle Mo in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop Stakes last year, and then destroyed the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile field last fall at Churchill Downs.
The five-year-old horse, Jackson Bend has already run at a mile twice this season, and was successful in the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope Stakes but finished third in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap to, Mucho Macho Man.
Nicholas P. Zito trained horse is exiting a victory in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap at seven furlongs.
With a star studded lineup in the Met Mile Handicap, Shackleford will run a big race, but might not notch the win. Though, To Honor and Serve will assume the stone cold closer role, but he might get edged out by Caleb’s Posse, who will win the Met Mile.
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