Unlike Gemologist, Alpha has experience and success over the Aqueduct course. Alpha exits a win in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes which followed a win in the Countfleet Stakes, both at Aqueduct. He earned Brisnet speed figures of 100 for both efforts. Also, Alpha is one of the many successful Sophomores coming out of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
“I feel like he definitely handles the run just fine and it cannot hurt when the horse is coming from two previous races at the same track, so nothing's going to be new for him,” said Alpha’s jockey Ramon Dominguez.
As the fourth choice in the field at odds of 8-1, My Adonis appears to be ready for a big effort. This Kelly Breen runner comes into the Wood off a second place finish to Hansen in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes. Prior to that race, My Adonis finished third behind Algorithms and Hansen in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes. A bullet work in which My Adonis completed four furlongs in :47 over the Aqueduct course earlier this week is another indicator that this son of Pleasantly Perfect is ready to run.
An interesting newcomer is 8-1 The Lumber Guy, whose sire Grand Slam died earlier this week due to heart failure at the age of seventeen. The Lumber Guy is undefeated in two starts in which he won by a combined 13 lengths. In the Miracle Wood Stakes this front-running colt earned a 103 Brisnet speed figure; in his previous start, he earned a 99. Impressive figures for such an inexperienced runner.
Rounding out the field is Nick Zito’s Casual Trick at 20-1, Michael Matz’s maiden winner, Teeth Of The Dog, at 15-1, Street Life, the son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, at odds of 4-1, and Tiger Walk, who exits a fourth place finish in the Gotham Stakes, at odds of 15-1.
The race is the 9th on Saturday’s card with a scheduled post time of 5:15 p.m. The race can be seen as part of “The Road to the Derby” series on NBC. The broadcast begins at 4:30 p.m. and will include the Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park and the Central Bank Ashland Stakes at Keeneland.
Photo: Courtesy Kentucky Derby
