Drafted after his win in the Gravesend Dec. 30 (Susie Raisher)
Stakes-placed D’ont Lose Cruz Targets $100K Gander
Kant Hurry Love to Target Race Against Winners Feb. 25
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Dublin Fjord Stables, Racepoint Stables, Kevin D. Hilbert and Thomas O’Keefe’s multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Drafted breezed a half-mile solo in 47.40 seconds Thursday over the Belmont Park dirt training track.
Trained by David Duggan, the 9-year-old Field Commission gelding is pointing to the six-furlong Grade 3, $150,000 Tom Fool Handicap on March 4 following his closing third-place effort in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Toboggan on January 28 here.
“We’re on target for the Tom Fool,” Duggan said. “He’ll have one more work and we’ll keep everything ticking over. He’s an old-timer and keep it simple works for him. He’s bounced out of the last race very well and the timing between the races is perfect.”
Drafted won 4-of-9 starts in 2022, led by NYRA circuit scores in the Grade 3 Toboggan, Grade 3 Runhappy, and Gravesend along with a narrow victory in the Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park.
Last out, in his seasonal debut, Drafted rallied from sixth position to finish 1 1/4-lengths back of runner-up Little Vic, who was a further 8 1/2-lengths back of the victorious Repo Rocks. The winner garnered a lofty 111 Beyer Speed Figure, while Drafted registered a 92 Beyer, which was just one point less than the number earned for his nose score over Little Vic in the six-furlong Gravesend on December 30 here.
“We ran our race the last time. We just got beat a by a better horse on the day,” Duggan said.
Clear Stars Stable, Mitre Box Stable, Big Toe Stables and Koshanostra Stables’ stakes-placed D’ont Lose Cruz is targeting the $100,000 Gander, a one-turn mile for state-bred sophomores on February 25 at the Big A.
The Always Dreaming gelding, bred by Southern Oak Farm, made his first three starts traveling six furlongs at the Big A for the now retired Rick Schosberg, graduating at second asking in October ahead of a runner-up effort to Acoustic Ave in the Notebook on November 25.
With Irad Ortiz, Jr. up in the Notebook, D’ont Lose Cruz set splits of 23.38 and 47.59 over the fast main track but had to settle for second, finishing a half-length back of Acoustic Ave in a final time of 1:13.68.
Ortiz, Jr. said after the race that D’ont Lose Cruz was hard to handle down the lane.
“He wasn’t helping me too much with drifting a little. I had to fight with him the whole stretch,” said Ortiz, Jr.
D’ont Lose Cruz added blinkers next out and made his debut for Duggan a winning one, taking a six-furlong state-bred optional claimer on January 15 here in stalking fashion under Kendrick Carmouche.
“Last time, he answered a lot of questions for us,” Duggan said. “Irad had suggested putting blinkers on. He was a little immature and lacking a bit of focus, but the raw talent was there. Kendrick liked what he saw the last time. It didn’t make him too on the muscle, and he actually tracked back off the speed which was a trait we didn’t think he had.”
Duggan said the $100,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase, out of the multiple stakes-winning D’wildcat mare D’wild Ride, should relish a stamina test in the Gander.
“He acts and trains like a horse that needs to stretch out and this is a prime opportunity to see if this is our gig,” Duggan said. “He’s getting stronger and more mature. He tries and he’s done very well. I like what I’m seeing right now.”
Ken Wheeler, Jr.’s Kant Hurry Love, a 4-year-old daughter of Kantharos, earned an 82 Beyer for a 7 1/4-length score in a state-bred optional claiming sprint here on February 5.
Bred by Dr. John M. McDermott and Laura G. McDermott, the $40,000 purchase from the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase boasts a record of 12-3-4-3 for purse earnings of $225,500. She made her first 11 starts with conditioner Christophe Clement, earning a career-best 85 Beyer two starts back with a five-length romp over a sloppy and sealed Big A main track on January 6.
Duggan said he was pleased to see Kant Hurry Love return with a big speed figure last out when winning over a fast track.
“She backed up the wet track number which was important,” Duggan said.
Kant Hurry Love will target a race against winners on February 25 here. She is out of the Langfuhr mare She’s All Love, who is a half-sister to multiple graded-stakes placed Bonus Points and stakes winner Candid Desire.
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