Giant Step Up for Kid Cruz in Preakness
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Kid Cruz wins the Federico Tesio Stakes. (Photos by Maryland Jockey Club/Jim McCue)
By Tom Pedulla, America’s Best Racing
Linda Rice’s mind is not on becoming the first female trainer to win the Preakness as she prepares lightly raced Kid Cruz for Saturday’s $1 million race. In one sense, her thoughts are not so much on the middle leg of the Triple Crown at all.
“He may or may not be up to winning it,” Rice said of Kid Cruz. “I’m hoping he puts forth a big effort and gets a piece of it and gets an education toward the Belmont.”
The son of Lemon Drop Kid showed an affinity for Pimlico Race Course when he made a four-wide move for jockey Julian Pimentel and was ridden out in a commanding 3 ½-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Federico Tesio Stakes here on April 19 in his most recent start. Although it is unconventional, Rice views the Preakness as a “steppingstone” toward the 1 ½-mile Belmont, which will be run three weeks later.
“I think we needed a race into the Belmont that would keep him fit for the mile and a half,” she said. “I think a lot of horses will not be able to get the distance of the Belmont very well. He is one horse that will.”
Rice will become the 15th woman to train a Preakness starter. The late Nancy Alberts recorded the best finish when Magic Weisner closed sharply to finish second to War Emblem by three-quarters of a length in 2002. Shelly Riley earned the only other top-three finish, when Casual Lies took third in 1992.
“I don’t really think about that, only when reporters ask me those types of questions,” Rice said.
Of course, she appreciates the magnitude of the accomplishment. She also understands how elusive it is. “It was wonderful to win the training title at Saratoga and wonderful to win one at Aqueduct and Belmont,” said the New York-based trainer. “It would be wonderful if I was the first woman to win the Preakness, but that is a big if.”
The virtual certainty is that Kid Cruz – named for electrifying New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz – responds to distance better than most horses. He has not started a race shorter than one mile in winning three of five career starts for earnings of $161,375. He overcame a slow start for a dominant four-length score in the 1 1/8-mile Private Terms Stakes on March 8 at Laurel Park.
KID CRUZ IN THE TESIO
“He’s certainly given us two good performances in the Private Terms and Federico Tesio,” Rice said. “This will be a big step up for him in competition.”
Horses of his caliber are not often available in claiming races. Yet that is what happened in this instance. After Kid Cruz made a dismal debut, faltering home seventh in a maiden special weight race last Nov. 3 at Aqueduct, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and then owner Black Swan Stable took a calculated risk by dropping him into a one-mile race at Aqueduct two weeks later for a $50,000 claiming price.
Rice was impressed with his pedigree. From a physical standpoint, she liked him even more when he walked into the paddock to be saddled, and so the claim was made in behalf of Vina Del Mar Thoroughbreds to the dismay of the previous connections.
“We really didn’t think off the first race somebody would take him,” said John DeStefano, who manages Black Swan Stable. “We didn’t want to lose him.”
DeStefano and his partners were intrigued enough by Kid Cruz that he contacted Rice and explored the possibility of buying back into the horse. A 45-percent stake was arranged to what proved to be the benefit of both parties.
“It doesn’t always work out,” DeStefano said of his maneuvering. “This time it did.”
$1.5-million Preakness Stakes
Saturday, Pimlico, Race 12, Post Time 6:20p.m. ET.
1 3/16 miles, dirt, 3-year-olds
Television: NBC coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. ET
Post
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Odds
1
Dynamic Impact
Miguel Mena
Mark Casse
12-1
2
General a Rod
Javier Castellano
Mike Maker
15-1
3
California Chrome
Victor Espinoza
Art Sherman
3-5
4
Ring Weekend
Alan Garcia
Graham Motion
20-1
5
Bayern
Rosie Napravnik
Bob Baffert
10-1
6
Ria Antonia
Calvin Borel
Tom Amoss
30-1
7
Kid Cruz
Julian Pimentel
Linda Rice
20-1
8
Social Inclusion
Luis Contreras
Manny Azpurua
5-1
9
Pablo Del Monte
Jeffrey Sanchez
Wesley Ward
20-1
10
Ride On Curlin
Joel Rosario
William Gowan
10-1