Kelso: One Turn, Several Contenders

Belmont Park’s Kelso Handicap (gr. II) on the New York Racing Association’s second Super Saturday card Oct. 8 may be lacking a bit in stature as a grade II worth $350,000 on a day with four grade Is, but the intrigue has come up big in the entries. Several of the runners in the one-turn mile main track event seek to rebound off defeats at Saratoga Race Course while facing a tough shipper from the West Coast and a come-backing multiple grade III winner making his first outing since early February.

Those hoping to find their form of old include Ocean Knight, Anchor Down, Tamarkuz, and Upstart.

Ocean Knight and Tamarkuz are trained by Kiaran McLaughlin. Ocean Knight won the Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) in January 2015, but has only found the winner’s circle once since and that came against allowance optional claiming company in October 2015. Second in his last pair of races off a 10-month break may have him primed to “bounce back” third time out.

The hope for Shadwell Stable’s Tamarkuz is an additional furlong. The 6-year-old Speightstown   horse rallied from seventh to second behind pro-tem sprint division leader A. P. Indian in Saratoga’s Aug. 27 Forego Stakes (gr. I). Fourth in last year’s Kelso, Tamarkuz’ other two starts at a mile at Belmont resulted in finishes behind champion Honor Code   (fourth) and Frosted (ninth) in the past two Metropolitan Handicaps (gr. I).

Todd Pletcher sends out Alto Racing’s Anchor Down, a 5-year-old Tapit   ridgling who ran second to Frosted in the Met Mile then was an uneventful sixth in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes (gr. I) at the Spa at six furlongs.

New York-bred Upstart won Oaklawn’s Razorback Handicap (gr. III) at 1 1/16 miles in his 2016 debut and has made three starts against better since with a pair of thirds to his ledger.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is dangerous anytime he comes East and he’ll be represented in the Kelso by recent Longacres Mile (gr. III) winner Point Piper. His last-out 119 Equibase Speed Figure tops all with the exception of Upstart. Since making his first five starts in Europe, the Giant's Causeway   horse has raced exclusively in the Midwest and West Coast. How he handles Belmont Park and the ship is paramount.

The comebacker who is as good as any in here is the Pletcher-trained Tommy Macho. The Macho Uno   colt rolled to a 3 3/4-length win Feb. 6 in Gulfstream Park’s Fred Hooper Stakes (gr. III) at a mile. A two-time winner at Belmont, he was third in last summer’s Dwyer Stakes (gr. III) against fellow 3-year-olds.