Trainer Michael Trombetta posted his first Keeneland graded stakes victory in last year’s Commonwealth Stakes (gr. II) with Eternal Star. On April 10, he will try to repeat in the $250,000 event with Congressional Page and Not for Silver.
The Commonwealth, a seven-furlong sprint on the main track for 3-year-olds and up, drew just five entrants, all to carry 118 pounds. It goes as the seventh race with a 4:20 p.m. post time.
R. Larry Johnson’s Congressional Page finished second in the Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship (gr. II) at the Commonwealth's seven-furlong distance Feb. 13. Stretched out to a mile in the Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. II) one month later, the 5-year-old son of Orientate failed to menace while splitting the field of 11.
Winless in three starts in 2010, Congressional Page won five of six races last year and has earnings of $204,680. Javier Castellano will ride Congressional Page, who will break from post 5.
Ted Julio’s grade II winner Not for Silver will be making his first start since finishing second in last October’s Perryville Stakes (gr. III) at Keeneland. Jeremy Rose, who has ridden Not for Silver in his past two starts, has the call and will break from post 2. The 4-year-old Not For Love colt won the Carry Back Stakes (gr. II) at Calder Race Course & Casino last year and boasts a career mark of 4-3-0 in 10 races with earnings of $278,980.
Ravalo, a head-knocking 6-year-old trained by Donald Barr for owner Lindy M. Redding, has won 14 of 31 lifetime starts while earning $817,885, far and away the highest total in the field. Fourth in the Commonwealth in 2009, Ravalo comes into this year's running off an allowance victory at six furlongs on a sloppy Philadelphia Park strip March 15.
Sequoia Racing's Imperial Council ran second in the Peter Pan (gr. II) and Gotham (gr. III) stakes as a 3-year-old in New York last year. Trained by Shug McGaughey, the son of Empire Maker has recorded a pair of thirds in optional claiming allowance races so far in 2010, both over seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park.
Together Indy makes his synthetic track debut following a last-place showing in the Appleton Stakes (gr. IIIT) over the Gulfstream turf March 20.
$250,000 Commonwealth Stakes (gr. II, Race 7, 4:20 p.m.), 3 & Up, 7 Furlongs (Synthetic)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Trainer
1. Together Indy (NJ), K J Desormeaux, G Weaver
2. Not for Silver (MD), J Rose, M J Trombetta
3. Ravalo (KY), J R Velazquez, D H Barr
4. Imperial Council (KY), J R Leparoux, C R McGaughey III
5. Congressional Page (KY), J Castellano, M J Trombetta
All carry 118 pounds.