Sword Dancer Handicap Invitational – Teaks North in great form, eyes to land the Saratoga meet
The $500,000 Grade 1 Sword Dance Handicap Invitational at Saratoga will be run on 13 August 2011 and the Grade 1 United Nation Stakes' winner, Teaks North, is out to land the Saratoga meet as his next assignment.
The four-year-old brown gelding with jockey, Eddie Castro, made a powerful stretch run in the United Nation Stakes to land his second straight stakes race win at Monmouth Park.
This was the first time the Justin Sallusto trained colt ran at a 1 3/8 miles distance, before that the longest he has gone is at a distance of 1 1/8 miles.
The win at Monmouth Park was satisfying for so many reasons. Teaks North went on to win a race that was filled with international competition and he showed how good he is given any kind of competition he is to face.
Secondly, it was his second grade stakes win in a row.
Teaks North with his mount, Eddie Castro, settled nicely in the middle of the pack and remained off the pace for a good half of the race, presumably for 2 furlongs, the pair stayed steady and calm, showed no intentions of beating any horse ahead of them.
When the pair saw no potential opening to burst out and leave the lot behind, they ran on well between the horses and led 110 yards on the outside and when it came to hold their position, they held it gamely.
Prior to the Grade 1 United Nations Stakes win, Teaks North had a tough predicament in the shape of Grade 3 Monmouth Stakes on turf at Monmouth Park.
On a field of seven horses with the likes of Get Stormy and Sleepless Knight, Teaks North shoved Sleepless Knight aside as he came in late to challenge Teaks North, but the Northern Afleet colt held firm and outran Sleepless Knight by a mere three quarters
of a length.
Teaks North is four for four at the Monmouth Park and his heroics have echoed in Japan, as he was asked to run in the Japan Cup but trainer, Justin Sallusto, prefers to stick closer to home but admits that it was very nice to be asked to run in a prestigious
race like the Japan Cup.
Teaks North will also run in the Breeders’ Cup and after that he is expected to get a breather from racing while he prepares to go for the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap.
These are the highs of the four-year-old gelding and if he goes on to win at Saratoga, he will open new possibilities because trainer Justin Sallusto will not be reluctant to hold Teaks North off for big races, following a showdown at Saratoga.
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