Royal Son Takes on Western Invaders in Spiral
Image:
Description:
With an impressive gate-to-wire win over the Turfway Park synthetic track last time out in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes Feb. 28, WinStar Farm's Royal Son appears to be the one to beat in the $550,000 Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes (gr. III) March 21.
The Todd Pletcher-trained colt cruised to win the 1 1/16-mile Battaglia by 5 1/4 lengths in 1:46.84, but a pair of West Coast invaders proven on synthetic footing should provide a significant challenge for the son of Tiznow .
Shipping in from California will be El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) winner Metaboss, along with Conquest Typhoon, the favorite who finished third in that race at Golden Gate Fields.
"He's a very versatile horse," trainer Jeff Bonde said of Metaboss, a Street Boss colt who broke his maiden on the turf at Santa Anita Park Jan. 4, going the same distance as the Spiral (1 1/8 miles). "Our ownership group is large and they felt like they wanted to stay on synthetic. He's won on turf and likes the dirt. I don't see it as issue. He's a very conforming horse."
Conquest Typhoon, a son of Stormy Atlantic trained by Mark Casse, came into the El Camino Real Derby off a two-month layoff following a victory in the Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (gr. III) over Del Mar's synthetic course, and figures to improve.
Other outside contenders entered include Firespike, who finished fifth in the Battaglia after a troubled trip but has a win over synthetic footing in the OBS Championship Stakes Jan. 27; Dubai Sky, a shipper from Gulfstream Park who is on a three-race winning streak; and Imperia, the winner of last year's Pilgrim Stakes (gr. III) at Belmont Park.
Turfway on March 15 announced the entries for the Spiral, but post post positions will be drawn March 18.