James Spence’s El Caballo, a grade II runner-up last year, returns off more than a seven-month layoff as the 121-pound high weight in the $100,000 Colonel E.R. Bradley Handicap (gr. IIIT) Jan. 23 at Fair Grounds.
The Bradley, a 1 1/16-mile turf contest for older horses, drew a field of seven. With a post time scheduled for 2:43 p.m. CST, it is the first of six stakes on the Fair Grounds program.
El Caballo, a 6-year-old son of El Corredor, was second to Proudinsky by a nose in the Mervin Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap (gr. IIT) last March at Fair Grounds. He also won twice in optional claiming company, including his last start on June 7 at Churchill Downs. The Ralph Nicks trainee has earned nearly $300,000 from 13 starts, five of them wins.
Robby Albarado draws the mount on El Caballo, the 2-1 morning-line favorite, and they break from post 4.
Coming off a stakes win and perhaps the horse to beat is Barr Three and Cherrywood Racing Stable’s
Princeville Condo. The gelding by
Morluc scored in his stakes debut Dec. 26 over this same course in the Buddy Diliberto Memorial Handicap. It was the third win in the last four starts for the 5-year-old Illinois-bred. In 10 starts, Princeville Condo has never been off the board, producing a 6-3-1 record for trainer Greg Geier. Francisco Torres has the call.
Kinsman Stable’s
Vanquisher had a black-type win during his long 2009 campaign in the restricted Tallahassee Stakes last February at Gulfstream Park. That was the last victory for the 6-year-old Florida-bred son of Gulch, who raced eight more times last year without a trip to the winner’s circle.
Vanquisher, trained by Greg Griffith, began his 2010 season Jan. 3 at Tampa Bay Downs by finishing third in an optional claimer. James Graham will be in the irons this time.
Another possibility is Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm’s
Tend, who makes his turf debut for trainer Al Stall Jr. The 5-year-old
Dynaformer gelding has been third in his last two starts—both stakes on the Fair Grounds main track—and has won four of 15 starts overall.
$100,000 Col. E.R. Bradley Handicap (gr. IIIT, Race 6, 2:43 p.m.), 4YO and Up, 1 1/16 Miles (Turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Tend (KY), T Agilar, 116, A M Stall Jr.
2. Tybalt (KY), P A Valenzuela, 115, M Stidham
3. Get Rich Quick (KY), M Mena, 118, M Pierce
4. El Caballo (KY), R Albarado, 121, R E Nicks
5. Princeville Condo (IL), F C Torres, 119, G Geier
6. Swains News (KY), J Riquelme, 116, A Milligan
7. Vanquisher (FL), J Graham, 118, G A Griffith
Also Eligibles:
8 Glamour Guy. (FL) (MTO), R Albarado, 115, R E Nicks
