Commentator returns with chance to recapture glory in Whitney

Posted: Thursday, July 24, 2008 4:03 PM

Commentator returns with chance to recapture glory in Whitney

COMMENTATOR

Bob Coglianese photo

Three years ago at Saratoga Race Course, Commentator scored his most significant career victory with a breakthrough performance in the Whitney Handicap (G1).

Three strong efforts this year indicate the seven-year-old Distorted Humor gelding could be poised to recapture past glory on Saturday in this year’s Whitney, a 1 1/8-mile dirt race for horses three years old and older.

Commentator was assigned high weight of 120 pounds for the Whitney, which also drew multiple Grade 1 winner Student Council, Grade 2 winners A. P. Arrow, Notional, Timber Reserve, and Cowtown Cat, and Grade 3 winner Grasshopper among 11 participants.

Trained by Nick Zito for owner Tracy Farmer, Commentator won one of four starts last season but opened this year with a dominant 14-length romp in a one-mile allowance/optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park on January 17. He followed with a 13 3/4-length victory in the Richter Scale Sprint Handicap (G2) on March 8 at Gulfstream and enters off a runner-up finish in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) on May 26 at Belmont Park.

Commentator has amassed 11 wins from 18 career starts and earned $1,091,936 in five seasons.

“Commentator is like [former heavyweight boxing champion] George Foreman,” Zito said. “He gets older but keeps coming up at a high level. He has his issues, but we have learned to space out his races and give him the time he needs. When he gets the time he needs, he usually comes up with his race. That’s all we ever ask—for Commentator to be Commentator.”

Student Council scored his breakthrough victory last August in the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) at Del Mar. The six-year-old Kingmambo horse won the Maryland Lottery Pimlico Special Handicap (G1) on May 16 at Pimlico Race Course and enters off a third-place finish in the Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G1) at Hollywood Park on June 28.

Steve Asmussen trains Student Council for owner Millennium Farms. He will carry 117 pounds in the Whitney.

Multiple graded stakes winner A. P. Arrow will attempt to rebound from a sixth-place finish in the Suburban Handicap (G1) on June 28 at Belmont.

Multiple graded stakes winner Notional enters the Whitney off a 2 1/4-length victory in the Salvator Mile Handicap (G3) on July 5 at Monmouth Park.

The Whitney also drew the second- and third-place finishers from the Suburban—Solar Flare (Arg) and Rising Moon, respectively.

Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor

The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, and trainer:

1. Commentator (Distorted Humor), John Velazquez, 120, Nick Zito;

2. Solar Flare [Arg] (Salt Lake), Gabriel Saez, 115, Larry Jones;

3. Notional (In Excess [Ire]), Edgar Prado, 116, Mark Hennig;

4. Cowtown Cat (Distorted Humor), Rafael Bejarano, 114, Todd Pletcher;

5. Merchant Marine (Tiznow), Rajiv Maragh, 113, Allen Jerkens;

6. Tasteyville (With Approval), Michael Luzzi, 115, Patrick Kelly;