Arctic Beast cuts back in $135K Damon Runyon
Dual stakes-winner Arctic Beast will look to return to winning form as he gets back around one turn in Saturday’s $135,000 Damon Runyon, a seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred 3-year-olds, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Mike Maker for Paradise Farms Corp., JP Racing Stable, David Staudacher, Zilla Racing Stables and Jennifer Rice, the Yaupon colt won his first three career starts, all in state-bred sprints, in impressive fashion.
Arctic Beast [post 5, Jose Lezcano] debuted in August at Saratoga Race Course, posting a narrow nose win over Valentine Crusader in a six-furlong sprint that earned an 82 Beyer Speed Figure. He stepped into stakes company in the 5 1/2-furlong Aspirant on September 22 at Finger Lakes Racetrack and drew off to a 7 1/4-length score over sloppy and sealed footing to register an 86 Beyer. Arctic Beast doubled up on stakes scores at Finger Lakes with another prominent romp in the six-furlong New York Breeders’ Futurity, winning by 5 3/4-lengths.
The talented dark bay was last seen landing second to gate-to-wire winner Express Kid in the Listed Springboard Mile around two turns on December 20 at Remington Park. There, he exited the inside post under Ricardo Santana, Jr. and saved ground in fourth position before angling out and making a move through the turn, but could not reel in the runaway winner, who scored by 6 1/4-lengths.
"He handled the two turns just fine,” Maker said. “He just got outrun – second best. He was maybe further back than I liked, but hat's off to the winner - he broke sharp, put himself right in the race and took control.”
Maker said the Damon Runyon was a logical spot for Arctic Beast, who returns to sprinting against his own kind.
“It's a New York-bred race and the distance and conditions suit him,” said Maker, who won this event in 2022 with Rotknee.
Arctic Beast was selected by Maker for $275,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale. The dark bay, bred by Rockridge Stud, Saratoga Glen Farm and Beal’s Racing Stable, is out of the dual stakes-winning Frost Giant mare Frostie Anne – a half-sister to dual stakes-winner Freudie Anne.
“He's a very well-balanced horse with good conformation. He seemed to have all the characteristics of all the Yaupons we had purchased,” Maker said. “He showed a lot of speed early and a lot of class. He was very mature early as a 2-year-old.”
Trainer Jeremiah Englehart will send out Ten Strike Racing’s New York-homebred Mission Critical [post 7, Eric Cancel], who enters from a third-out graduation versus fellow state-breds traveling a one-turn mile on December 31 at the Big A.
There, the Midnight Lute colt pressed the pace of Qbits through a half-mile in 47.73 seconds, taking command with a three-wide move into the stretch and powering away to a 3 1/2-length score in a final time of 1:42.58. The winning effort earned a 49 Beyer.
Mission Critical is out of the dual stakes-winning Bodemeister mare Critical Value, who captured the 2019 Maid of the Mist and 2020 Bouwerie versus fellow state-breds at Belmont Park for these connections.
“He’s very similar to his mother. I’m a big fan of Midnight Lute as well. I think those horses get better with age,” Englehart said. “I think he is a horse we haven’t seen the best of yet. His last number was a little slow, but I’m not certain if that was not just a result of the racetrack. Sometimes in winter racing, these horses can get a bit of a negative in their numbers because the track is usually slower.”
Adelphi Racing Club and Chief Horse Futures’ Time to Roll [post 4, Jaime Rodriguez] has won 2-of-4 starts, including a well-rated state-bred allowance win last out that registered a 79 Beyer.
Trained by Horacio De Paz, the Not This Time colt graduated at second asking in September at Belmont at the Big A, taking a one-turn mile off-the-turf event by 1 1/2-lengths that featured third-place finisher Talk to Me Jimmy, who is entered in Friday’s Listed Withers.
Time to Roll landed a distant fifth in the one-mile state-bred Sleepy Hollow on October 25 at Belmont at the Big A, but returned with aplomb last out to score by 6 3/4-lengths, at odds of 11-1, while covering seven-furlongs in 1:26.24.
The $270,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale purchase was bred by Kingsport Farm and is out of the Grade 3-placed Medaglia d’Oro mare My Galina. His third dam is multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Stellar Jayne, who is a half-sister to dual Grade 1-winning millionaire Starrer.
Also entered are stakes-placed Combat Mission [post 6, Kendrick Carmouche] for trainer John Kimmel; state-bred maiden winners Royal Riddle [post 2, Manny Franco] for trainer Joe Sharp and Chummers [post 3, Christopher Elliott] for conditioner Ray Handal; maiden-claiming winner Drop Me a Dime [post 1, Reylu Gutierrez] for trainer John Ortiz; and first-time starter Portadown Lad [post 8, Jose Gomez] for trainer James Ferraro.
The Damon Runyon is slated as Race 9 on Saturday’s 10-race card, which also features the $135,000 East View in Race 4. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern.
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