Coup de Grace Appears One to Beat in Sprint

Fox Hill Farms' Coup de Grace appears the one to beat in the $150,000 Maryland Sprint Handicap (gr. III) on the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes card at Pimlico Race Course May 16.



Off since March 20 when a disappointing third as the odds-on favorite in an allowance race at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Coup de Grace has been working sharply for his return to the races, breezing three times, including two bullet workout for trainer Larry Jones.



The 4-year-old son of Tapit   has won five of 10 career starts, including victories in the 2014 Bay Shore Stakes (gr. III) and the 2014 Amsterdam Stakes (gr. III).



Since the victory in the Amsterdam, Coup de Grace has dropped his last three starts and has been freshened up for this by Jones.



Coup de Grace, who was bred in Kentucky by AGS Thoroughbreds, was made the 118 pound highweight in the six furlong sprint and will break from post two in the eight-horse field under jockey Kerwin Clark. A $300,000 Keeneland September yearling sale purchase from the Van Meter Sales consignment, Coup de Grace was made the 3-1 second-choice on the morning line.



Sagamore Farm and Mel Paikoff's Happy My Way, who won the Maryland Sprint last year, is back to defend his title for trainer Joe Orseno. In fact, Happy My Way is the lone runner in the field with a victory over Pimlico's main track.

   

The 5-year-old gelding hasn't won since taking the Maryland Sprint, dropping his next five starts but has hit the board in four of them, including a second place finish in the 2014 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 2 and a second-place finish in the Feb. 21 Gulfstream Park Sprint (gr. III).

   

The Florida-bred son of Wilko   hasn't started since the Gulfstream Park Sprint but shows two workouts for this race, including a bullet move on April 27 at Gulfstream when he covered five furlongs in :59.20. Happy My Way drew post four in the Maryland Sprint Handicap and will be ridden by Joe Bravo carrying 116 pounds as the 5-2 morning line favorite.

   

Live Oak Plantation's Souper Knight (8-1) has lost his past five starts but could offer some value in the Maryland Sprint Handicap with his late running style. In the money in all five starts at the six furlong distance, including two wins, Souper Knight will be shooting for his first graded stakes win in the Maryland Sprint Handicap.



The 5-year-old gelded son of Midnight Lute   had his streak of hitting the board in eight straight races snapped after breaking poorly in his last start when fifth at Parx Racing. Since the race, the Kentucky-bred has breezed three times for this at Fair Hill Training Center for trainer Michael Trombetta.



Souper Knight drew post six and will be ridden by Trevor McCarthy carrying 111 pounds.