'Ranger' Tops Deep Dixiana Breeders' Futurity

Arlington-Washington Futurity winner heads oversubscribed field for Oct. 5 event.

Susan Moulton's Solitary Ranger, who broke his maiden by 5 1/2 lengths when winning the Sept. 7 Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III) in his most recent start, headlines a field of 14 plus two also-eligibles for the $400,000 Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) at Keeneland Oct. 5.

The 1 1/16-mile race on the Polytrack is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) to be run Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.

Trained by Wayne Catalano, Solitary Ranger ran second in two 4 1/2-furlong sprints at Keeneland in April, including to eventual group I winner No Nay Never, before resurfacing to win the Arlington-Washington Futurity at Arlington Park. Florent Geroux has the mount Saturday on the 2-year-old son of U S Ranger, who will break from the 6 hole. For more on Solitary Ranger, read this week's installment of Novak at the Track.

Also expected to draw attention is Conquest Stables' Conquest Titan, winner of the Swynford Stakes at Woodbine by 5 1/4 lengths in his Polytrack debut. Trained by Mark Casse, Conquest Titan will be ridden by Eurico Da Silva and breaks from post 9. Casse trained runner-up Dynamic Sky in last year's edition of the Breeders' Futurity.

By Birdstone , Conquest Titan finished fourth on dirt at Churchill Downs before going directly to the Swynford to break his maiden.

"He trains like a superstar," Casse said. "After his first race at Churchill Downs, we took him back to Woodbine, where he was training so well that we put him in a stakes. He won that in complete control."

Others of interest include You See Vee Gee Stable's Ready for Action, a Dale Capuano trainee who won twice on the Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs and was the runner-up in the Sept. 26 Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile Stakes; and St. Elias Thoroughbreds and West Point Thoroughbreds' Tiznowforamerica, a solid maiden winner Sept. 2 at Saratoga Race Course for trainer Tom Albertrani.

Also eligible are Spendthrift Farm's Medal Count , a Dynaformer colt who was a 6 1/4-length winner going a mile in an off-the-turf maiden special weight Sept. 1 at Ellis Park, and Donegal Racing's maiden Oogeley Eye. Both are trained by Dale Romans.

$400,000 Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (gr. I, Race 8, approximate post time 4:49 p.m. EDT), 2YOs, 1 1/16 miles (all weather track)

PP, Horse, Jockey, Trainer

1. Intense Holiday (KY), C.P. DeCarlo, T A Pletcher

2. Kendall's Boy (KY), G.K. Gomez, T M Amoss

3. School On a Hill (KY), N. Arroyo, Jr., W M Catalano

4. Laddie Boy (KY), J.L. Castanon, C Peery

5. Rum Point (KY), M.Gutierrez, D F O'Neill

6. Solitary Ranger (KY), F. Geroux, W M Catalano

7. General Jack (KY), A. Garcia, M J Maker

8. Pontos (KY), V. Schulepov, G. Dorochenko

9. Conquest Titan (KY), E.R. DaSilva, M E Casse

10. Arctic Slope (KY), J. Rocco, Jr., K G McPeek