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Boys At Tosconova cruises to Hopeful score

Posted: Monday, September 06, 2010 5:46 PM

BOYS AT TOSCONOVA

Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo

To watch the Hopeful Stakes, click here.

by Ed DeRosa

Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. has set his sights on the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) after Boys At Tosconova had no problem dispatching three rivals in the $237,500 Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes (G1) on Monday at Saratoga Race Course.

The seemingly effortless victory stamps the Officer colt as one of the probable favorites for the Juvenile on November 6 at Churchill Downs, the same track where Boys At Tosconova made his career debut and finished second in the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes (G3) on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard.

The Siegel family’s Jay Em Ess Stable acquired a majority interest in the colt from Todd Cady, Denny Kanakaris, and Richard Hale following that debut, and nine weeks later he won a maiden special weight race at Belmont Park by 12 lengths. It was another 9 1/2 weeks to the Hopeful, and it will be 7 1/2 weeks until the Breeders’ Cup.

“We’re just excited to have him,” Dutrow said. “He’s very exciting to be around. I was confident. I thought we had the best horse in the race. I told [jockey] Ramon [Dominguez], if he breaks on the lead let them just follow you around there. If not, that will work to our advantage because he loves a target. I knew it was better to come from off the pace.”

Despite stumbling at the start, maiden winner Stay Thirsty made the lead rather easily traveling down the backside through an opening quarter in :23.15 with another maiden winner, Wine Police, tracking in second and Boys At Tosconova in third. Wine Police closed the gap slightly midway on the far turn through a half in :46.38, but Stay Thirsty was able to spurt away from him even as Boys At Tosconova mounted his rally while racing three wide.

Dominguez then had no trouble striking the front as he turned for home aboard the 11-to-20 favorite through six furlongs in 1:10.38, and they cruised under the line 1 3/4 lengths in front after seven furlongs on a track rated as fast in 1:23.27.

“I knew the two horses on the outside had speed, so I talked to [Dutrow] about where he wanted me and we just decided to play it by ear,” Dominguez said. “When he broke, I just decided to put him where he was comfortable, so I just eased him to the outside. He did it so easy and he even galloped out strong past the seven-eighths pole.

“It's really exciting for me because it's hard to come across a two-year-old this nice, especially to ride. Like every time you give him a chance, he will take a deep breath, relax, and look around. He's very, very professional. I didn't have to hit him today and hopefully I won't have to. It was that easy.”

Officer entered the 2001 Juvenile unbeaten through five starts but finished fifth to eventual champion Johannesburg as the 3-to-4 favorite.

“It’s a matter of two turns with him, and we certainly are not going to be afraid of it,” Dutrow said of stretching Boys At Tosconova out to 1 1/16 miles for this year’s Juvenile.

Stay Thirsty finished 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Wine Police, who was 9 1/2 lengths ahead of Settle for Medal in fourth.

“I thought he ran very well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said of Stay Thirsty. “We were coming back on short rest—three weeks—but I thought he ran a big race. He stumbled pretty badly at the start, got up, recovered pretty well, it was a good effort.”

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Ed DeRosa is news editor of Thoroughbred Times