NEWS

Custom for Carlos tops Toboggan Stakes field

Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010 3:17 PM

CUSTOM FOR CARLOS

Coglianese Photos

by Tim Nichols

Standout sprinter Custom for Carlos will try for his third career graded stakes score on Saturday in the $100,000 Toboggan Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct.

The four-year-old More Than Ready colt enters the six-furlong sprint on the inner dirt track off a strong three-quarter-length score in the Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) on January 9 at Gulfstream Park (video).

Trained by Eddie Kenneally, Custom for Carlos has finished no worse than fourth in ten career starts on dirt, winning the 2009 Jersey Shore Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park and finishing third in the ’09 Swale Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream. Eclipse Award-winning jockey Julien Leparoux, who rode the colt to victory in the Mr. Prospector, gets the return call on Saturday.

He will break from the rail for the first time in his career in the Toboggan.

Among the four looking thwart Custom for Carlos is Stetson Stables’ Wall Street Wonder, who enters off a career-best performance in the Paumonok Stakes on January 23 on Aqueduct’s inner track (video).

After running primarily on turf for previous trainer Bob Baffert, the four-year-old City Place colt has excelled in two starts for John Terranova. Wall Street Wonder won first start with Terranova on December 12 in an allowance race on dirt and then followed with a dominating 8½-length score in the six-furlong Paumonok (video).

“We thought he was on the verge of a breakout race before the Paumonok, but he kind of blew our minds that day,” Terranova said. “He came back well and just keeps getting stronger and stronger. We’ve given him plenty of time since then, but he didn’t seem fazed at all. I was thinking of training him up to the Carter (Handicap [G1] on April 3] but he’s in such great shape right now. He’s doing too good not to run him.”

Repole Stable’sStakes winner Driven by Success will make his first start for trainer Todd Pletcher on Saturday while Darley Stable’s Elusive Warning will try for his first stakes win since winning the 2008 Muhtathir Burj Nahaar (UAE-G3) at Nad al Sheba Racecourse. Stakes winner Crimson Comic rounds out the five-horse field.

Tim Nichols is internet content editor for Thoroughbred Times

Toboggan S.