Connect in Good Order Off Cigar Mile Win

Paul Pompa Jr.'s Connect exited his gutsy Nov. 26 victory in the $500,000 Cigar Mile (gr. I) at Aqueduct Racetrack in good shape, trainer Chad Brown reported from his Belmont Park base the morning of Nov. 27.

Brown said Connect, who picked up his second graded stakes win of the year by a hard-fought head over Divining Rod, will head to his trainer's winter base at Palm Meadows Training Center next week, where his connections will plan out the Curlin   colt's 4-year-old campaign, which could include a bid in the inaugural running of the $12 million Pegasus World Cup (gr. I) Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park.

"I'm going to let him hang out here for a little bit and recover from that race, then take him down to Palm Meadows," said Brown. "Obviously, we're going to take a look at this Pegasus Cup but there's no firm plans to participate at this point. I'll get him to Florida, see how he's training, and speak to Paul Pompa about it as the month of December goes on."

Brown noted that the rest of his Cigar Mile Day contingent also returned well from their respective stakes assignments at Aqueduct. 

"So far, knock on wood, everyone has looked good this morning," he said.

Grade III Comely runner-up Lewis Bay, owned by Alpha Delta Stables, will get a break this winter following seven starts during her sophomore season, which included victories in the Gazelle (gr. II) in April and Oct. 29 Turnback the Alarm Handicap (gr. III).

"She ran a really good race and she came out of it fine," Brown said. "It was disappointing that she gave it up late when she looked like a clear winner but that's what happened. She's had a long year. We'll give her a break now and point to next year."

Brown added that Woodford Racing's You're to Blame is possible to remain in New York through the winter following his fifth-place finish in his stakes debut in the Remsen (gr. II), and will and return next year for his 3-year-old campaign.

"No real excuse (in the Remsen)," Brown said. "It was the first time he had some kickback and he kind of ran even. It looked like he was retreating at the three-eighths pole, then there he was at the wire and he got up for fifth. He just kind of ran in spots. He's still a bit of a work in progress, but I do think that this horse has some talent. I'll let him catch his breath some after this race; he's done racing this year. Early next year, we'll get him going again and, hopefully with some experience, he'll improve.

"I'm thinking (he'll stay in) New York but nothing is firm at this point," he added. "I'll speak to the ownership group, but he strikes me as a horse that could benefit from staying here over the winter."

Speaking of the Remsen, victor Mo Town has emerged from his winning stakes debut in fine fettle, trainer Tony Dutrow said Sunday.

"He's super," Dutrow said. "I really don't know how he could look much better, he looks fantastic. He ate everything. He's pushy and a little on the arrogant side this morning, so we've got to be very happy.

"I talked about before that I hadn't seen this horse draw a deep breath and, even in the winner's circle, I watched him and there wasn't any type of cardio issue to talk about. He just walked in there and stood in there. (It's) pretty amazing just how much cardio fitness this horse must have. I thought Mo Town was very, very professional, and pretty much a workman-type of effort for him."

Armed with 10 points towards the 2017 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) following his impressive 2 1/2-length win in the Remsen, the 2-year-old son of Uncle Mo   will ship to South Florida Nov. 30 to spend the winter with Dutrow's string at Payson Park Training Center.

According to his trainer, Mo Town will likely be in "very light training" through December before gearing up for his sophomore campaign. 

Dutrow added that Mo Town, owned in partnership by Coolmore's Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith and Dutrow's own Team D Stable, could make his sophomore debut in the Gotham (gr. III) at Aqueduct in March, worth 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points and the traditional prep race for the Wood Memorial (gr. I) the following month.

 

Also emerging well from a Saturday effort was Verve's Tale, who came out of her stakes debut in good order following her win by a neck over Lewis Bay in Saturday's Comely.

The 3-year-old bay filly broke her maiden for trainer Barclay Tagg in her eighth start Oct. 16 at Keeneland and followed that up by defeating a seven-horse field to win the 67th running of the Comely at 1 1/8 miles.

"It's the effort we were waiting for," Tagg said. "We'll run her down in Florida now before coming back up here."

Typically known for his runners on the Mid-Atlantic circuit and at Tampa Bay Downs in the winter, trainer Arnaud Delacour has become a noticeable contender on the New York circuit over the last year, having picked up back-to-back grade I's this summer with A. P. Indian in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Belmont and the Forego at Saratoga Race Course.

On Saturday, Delacour saddled Divining Rod to a courageous runner-up effort in the Cigar Mile, just missing to Connect after a lengthy battle down the stretch, and send out No Dozing, who finished a late-closing second in the Remsen.

"They both looked good this morning," Delacour said. "I thought Divining Rod may have run his best race yet and No Dozing ran well despite being wide, but that's no one's fault, it's just the way the race unfolded.

"Unfortunately, the winter program is a little tougher on Divining Rod on opportunities of where he may run next that we'll look into. But possible targets for No Dozing include the (grade III) Sam F. Davis and the (grade II) Tampa Bay Derby."