Small But Classic in NC
Spring is mostly about the three-year-old classics, and so sophomore mile-and-a-quarter horses tend to have their attention directed away from these small stakes. The $50,000 Colonel Ton Special, at that classic distance on the turf, has drawn a small field but largely well-matched one, led by 3/5 shot Barb’s Backpack.
A dark grey son of Daylami out of Grade I winner Barb’s Kristy (In the Wings), he was multiply stakes-placed at two and opened his three-year-old season with an allowance win. He didn’t want all 11 furlongs in the Can He Get The Distance? and flattened out in the stretch, but stakes tries at 9.5 and 9 have resulted in a win and a show, both with sustained drives down the stretch. Jakematt Stables no doubt has him in here to get the measure of his distance preferences; I see no reason he shouldn’t handle it just fine.
Barb’s Backpack gets a dose of stamina influence Sadler’s Wells through his dam. Leonidas carries it on top, via sire Galileo. Rainbow Quest as dam-sire doesn’t hurt his theoretical distance potential, and he’s shown it in practice as well, with a second at 11 furlongs and a stalking win last out at 10. He beat entry-level allowance horses there with a good 93 speed rating and the kind of commanding victory that suggests there was plenty left in the tank.
French-bred Savantas, in contrast, is out to make amends for a 10-furlong disaster. The High Yield colt won his first two races before being outrun in stakes company. Stretched out a bit and then some more, he was stakes-placed and then a 9-furlong winner, both in five-horse fields. He earned a 91 speed rating for that victory. Last out at 10 furlongs, he dumped his rider in the first jumps out of the gate and went for a merry run. His normally patient connections have wheeled him back in two weeks and picked up the very capable D. Esperado, who should at least manage to stay aboard.
The fourth and final entry is Black Valentine, by A P Valentine and out of Bold Minnaloushe, a maiden by Black Minnaloushe. Black Valentine took five tried to break his maiden but did manage two stakes placings right off of that win. A 9-furlong try was not encouraging for his 10-furlong prospects, and recent form is a little off.