Dollase Points to Strub for Ten Most Wanted

Travers Stakes (gr. I) winner Ten Most Wanted is back in full training and will most likely make his 4-year-old debut in the Feb. 7 Strub Stakes (gr. II) trainer Wally Dollase said.

The bay son of Deputy Commander -- Wanted Again, by Criminal Type, hasn't raced since a troubled eighth-place finish in the Oct. 25 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I).

Ten Most Wanted underwent a complete physical in late October after being bumped hard heading into the clubhouse turn of the Classic and with a clean bill of health, spent about 30 days turned out at Dollase's daughter Michelle's nearby Bradbury farm. He returned to training in early December and has had one workout since, logging three furlongs in :36 1/5 over his home track of Hollywood Park on Dec. 16.

"He's doing great," Dollase said of the Reddam, Jarvis and Chisholm, et al color-bearer. "He got some well-deserved time off and has been back for close to a month now. I'm hoping to have him ready for the Strub and if everything goes as planned I think he'll make it.

"He had a long hard year last year, but he's tough. I'm pretty confident he'll have an even better year in 2004. He'll work again pretty quick here, probably in a couple of days."

In addition to winning the Travers, Ten Most Wanted won the Super Derby (gr. II) and Illinois Derby (gr. II) and also placed second in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) and Swaps Stakes (gr. II). From a record of 11-4-3-1 he's banked $1,553,460.

Dollase also reported that Del Mar Handicap (gr. IIT) hero Irish Warrior is back under his Hollywood Park shed row after a brief vacation. The 5-year-old son of Irish River and Spiritofpocahontas (by Alleged) last finished second to San Gabriel (gr. IIT) winner Redattore in the Citation Handicap (gr. IIT) at Hollywood Park Nov. 29.

"I don't have any serious plans for him now," Dollase said. "We'll just take our time with him and go easy. We don't need to push him."

Racing for the partnership of Coleman, Dasaro and Thompson, et al, Irish Warrior has banked $665,000 from a record of 22-6-7-4.