Airoforce Seeks Rebound in Spiral Stakes

John Oxley's Airoforce, who turned in an uncharacteristically dull effort in the Veterans Ford Risen Star Stakes (gr. II) last time out, seeks to rebound in the $500,000 Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes (gr. III) April 2 at Turfway Park.

 

The 1 1/8-mile Spiral, which offers 85 points toward Road to the Kentucky Derby standings, attracted a field of 12 with two also-eligibles.Airoforce is listed as supplemental entry; the fee was $25,000.

 

Airoforce, a 3-year-old Colonel John   colt, won the Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (gr. IIIT) and finished a close second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) last fall before his victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) on dirt at Churchill Downs. The Feb. 20 Risen Star at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots was his first start of the year; he finished almost 40 lengths behind the winner, Gun Runner, who he defeated in the Kentucky Jockey Club.

 

"We're still not really sure what happened," trainer Mark Casse said March 29. "At the half-mile pole, he kind of threw his head up. Initially (jockey) Julien (Leparoux) was concerned something was wrong, so he just let him gallop along. But we really haven't found a whole lot to give him an excuse.

 

"We scoped him the day before he ran (at Fair Grounds), and the only thing we found after the race was a lot of dirt in his trachea. He never really got sick. I'm surprised how well he has come back and how he is training. His last two breezes were (on the synthetic surface) at OBS, and we were very pleased."

 

Airoforce worked five furlongs in :58 4/5 March 17 and four furlongs in :48 March 26 at the Ocala Training Center. He was supplemented to the Spiral, which is run on Polytrack.

 

Casse noted that Airoforce, a $350,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. spring sale of 2-year-olds in training, has a win at Churchill, home of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). The colt currently has 10 points.

 

"Of course we'd consider the Derby (if he runs well), but right now I'm just looking for a good race this weekend," Casse said.

 

Airoforce drew post 10 and will be ridden by Albin Jiminez, the meet's leading jockey. All Spiral entrants are listed at 123 pounds.

 

Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson's homebred Red Giant colt Surgical Strike, who won the March 12 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes—the local Spiral prep—drew post 2 with Orlando Mojica named on a return call. Trained by Ben Colebrook, Surgical Strike has shown good late foot in two-turn races but hasn't raced yet on dirt.

 

"Two turns is what he wants to do," Colebrook said. "I knew the (6 1/2-furlong WEBN Stakes) was too short for him, but I wanted to see how he would handle the Poly. He came out of the (Battaglia) great. He ran a big race that day, considering how wide he was and how he got shuffled back on the first turn."

 

When asked about Kentucky Derby prospects should Surgical Strike win the Spiral and earn 50 points, Colebrook said: "We're just going one race at a time. He has never been on the dirt, so the Derby isn't on my radar yet. It's good to have a plan, but you have to be willing to go to Plan B or C pretty quick."

 

Alto Racing's Azar, trained by Todd Pletcher, drew post 12 with Manuel Franco named to ride. Winner of the grade II With Anticipation Stakes on turf last summer at Saratoga Race Course, Azar made his dirt debut a winning one Feb. 28 at Gulfstream Park.

 

The Scat Daddy   colt was a comfortable winner of an allowance/optional claiming race at 1 1/16 miles on a fast track. Though Azar has shown fondness for grass, he has worked regularly on dirt at Palm Beach Downs in Florida.

 

The $100,000 Bourbonette Oaks (gr. III) for 3-year-old fillies at one mile also drew a field of 12 with two also-eligibles. The race marks the return of the promising Giant's Causeway   filly Lookout Sister, who won two of four starts at 2 for Chadds Ford Stable but hasn't raced since a 10th-place finish after a troubled trip in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (gr. I) last fall at Keeneland.

 

Trained by Graham Motion and to be ridden by Alan Garcia, Lookout Sister has two recent works on grass at Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida.