The longer, Strong Wind is stretching up to two turns in the California Cup Juvenile
The 2-year-old Roncelli Family Trust’s colt, Strong Wind showed his class in the Graduation Stakes at Del Mar on 1 August, 2012, over at 5 ½ furlongs, but at 6 furlongs in the I’m Smokin Stakes, the colt by Tribal Rule, hit the board in third behind Native
Treasure and The Humancomplaint, who finished first and second, respectively.
However, according to trainer Steve Knapp the California bred juvenile colt, Strong Wind is a changes horse since his third place finish on Labor Day.
“He’s grown six to eight inches,” trainer Steve Knapp said. “His body has spread out.”
Due to that change, Steve Knapp is stretching out his runner in distance, and for the first time in 6 starts, Strong Wind will be tackling two turns in the 1 1/16 mile long $250,000 California Cup Juvenile.
Steve Knapp was left grinding his teeth after the I’m Smokin Stakes result, where Strong Wind finished third, because jockey Kevin Krigger dropped his whip in the dying stages of the race.
“He was going to run second, and he might have won,” Knapp said.
As a result, Strong Wind will experience a change in rider, and jockey Joe Talamo will replace Kevin Krigger in the California Cup Juvenile. The two have had time to get used to each other, as the duo has been working together for weeks at Santa Anita, and
the works were shaped to acclimatise Strong Wind to longer distances, for his two turn debut.
“We’ve started him five lengths behind another horse, and he’s waited for Joe to ask him what to do,” Knapp said.
Courtesy of the Golden Gate series, the purses of the California-bred races have been boosted, and once the $100,000 Cal Cup Juvenile’s purse has been increased to $250,000.
In respect to changes in purses, Steve Knapp who trained Strong Wind for Bill Tomasic and Gino Roncelli will focus on statebred races for their colt this fall.
After the Cal Cup Juvenile, Strong Wind will be looking to run in the $200,000 King Glorious Stakes at Hollywood Park on 16 December, and then move on to the $300,000 Breeders’ Champion Stakes at Santa Anita over a mile.
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