Keen Ice stays cool under pressure to take G2 Suburban
by Brian Bohl
Trainer Todd Pletcher called Keen Ice an "old hand" last week, referencing his extensive history in graded stakes. The 5-year-old son of Curlin bolstered his resume in the Stars & Stripes Racing Festival, running down 1-2 favorite Shaman Ghost in the stretch to win the 131st running of the Grade 2, $750,000 Suburban on Saturday at Belmont Park.
Keen Ice stalked a slow pace as Matt King Coal went a quarter-mile in 25.28 seconds and the half in 50.01. Shaman Ghost, the winner of the Grade 3 Pimlico last out, stayed just off those fractions before taking the midstretch lead under a drive.
Keen Ice won for the first time since the 2015 Grade 1 Travers, though he ended his 2016 campaign with a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic.
"We were hoping he'd be able to run fresh coming from Dubai and we gave him a little freshening at Calumet following that race [Dubai World Cup] and he was coming into this race training well," Pletcher said. "We'll see how he comes out of this but the Jockey Club Gold Cup would most likely logically be his next step."
Shaman Ghost has finished on the board in his last six races, including a win in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap and a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup.
"I don't see any excuses really," trainer Jimmy Jerkens said. "Even though they were going slow, it takes a little out of horses to try and keep close to them. He eventually got the better of him [Matt King Coal] but he didn't have a whole lot left."
Follow Me Crev, Watershed and Matt King Coal completed the order of finish. Sunny Ridge was scratched.