The Pizza Man Takes Win Streak to Woodbine

Midwest Thoroughbreds’ The Pizza Man will be making his first delivery outside the Chicago area in a year and a half, as he looks to extend his five-race winning streak in the $300,000 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (gr. IT) at Woodbine Sept. 14.

The 5-year-old Illinois-bred gelding by English Channel   has captured five consecutive stakes races—four at Arlington International Racecourse and one at Hawthorne Race Course—dating back to last September, but he hasn’t been facing the quality of competition he’ll be up against at Woodbine. However, he did beat a nice field in the American St. Leger last time out going 1 11/16 miles. That followed a wire-to-wire score in the grade III Stars N Stripes Stakes at 1 1/2 miles, so the 12 furlongs of the Northern Dancer won’t pose a problem.

The Pizza Man drew the rail in the nine-horse field and will be ridden by Florent Giroux, who was aboard for his last two victories.

The locals will be well represented by the one-two finishers of the Sky Classic Stakes (gr. IIT) at Woodbine—Karibu Gardens and Reporting Star. Karibu Gardens, trained by Josie Carroll, has won his past starts since being pulled up and vanned off following a July 1 allowance/optional claimer. The Sky Classic was the Flower Alley   colt's first stakes appearance.

Reporting Star is a hard-knocking 5-year-old son of Circular Quay   who was converted from a closer to a front-runner and has since won three of his four starts. Trainer Pat Parente removes the blinkers for the Northern Dancer. Regular rider Justin Stein will be back aboard.

The lone European threat will come from Sheikhzayedroad, winner of the listed Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket and the group II Skybet York Stakes at York in his past two starts for trainer David Simcock. The 5-year-old gelded son of Dubawi also was second, beaten a nose, in the group III Cantor Fitzgerald Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in his previous start. Earlier in the year, he captured the Dubai Duty Free Gulf World Cup at Meydan.

Also entered are Aldous Snow and Perfect Timber, the one-two finishers of the 1 1/2-mile Singspiel Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Woodbine. Aldous Snow will have to rebound off a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Sky Classic Stakes as the 2-1 favorite.

If you’re looking for a horse with back class, the Mark Casse-trained Dynamic Sky did win the Plate Trial and was third in the Queens Plate last year. But the 4-year-old Sky Mesa   colt's only win in six starts this year came via disqualification, and he finished fifth in the Sky Classic in his last start.

Stretching out in distance will be the Charlie LoPresti-trained Villandry. The 5-year-old son of Mr. Greeley does have credentials, finishing second in the Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill Downs and then running fourth in the Firecracker Stakes (gr. IIT), and fifth in the Lure Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, beaten less than two lengths each time.

Rounding out the field is the Roger Attfield-trained Forte Dei Marmi, who won last year’s Northern Dancer, Sky Classic, and Singspiel, but has been out of the money in his six starts since. The 8-year-old gelding did run a good fourth in the Singspiel, but was well beaten in the Sky Classic.