Susie Raisher Photo

Madefromlucky, Scuba square off in Temperence Hill on Sunday

by Brian Bohl

Cheyenne Stables and Mac Nichol's Madefromlucky will look to capitalize on gaining class relief as part of a field of six 3-year-olds and up in Sunday's fourth running of the $200,000 Temperence Hill Invitational at 1 5/8 miles on Belmont's main track.

The 5-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky has registered Beyer Speed Figures in excess of 90 in nine straight starts, including a 96 for his 12 ¼-length score in the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup last out on September 4 at Parx. That marked the Kentucky-bred's first win since the 2015 Grade 2 West Virginia Derby, a span of 13 starts. 

But Madefromlucky has consistently finished in the money, including third-place finishes this year in the State Dinner on July 3 at Belmont, as well as in the Essex Handicap on March 18 at Oaklwan Park and the Poseidon Handicap on January 28 to start his campaign.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will ride from post 2.

DARRS' Scuba was the pacesetter in the Greenwood Cup before fading to sixth. The 6-year-old Tapit gelding will also be taking the step down in class and will look to recapture the form he showed in finishing second in the Birdstone, contested at 1 ¾ miles, on August 3 at Saratoga Race Course.

Scuba is the only entry in the race to have won at 1 5/8 miles after winning last year's edition of the Temperence Hill. Trainer Brendan Walsh said that experience should be beneficial.

"He's been doing good since his last race and we're hoping we can repeat last year," Walsh said. "It's always nice that he's won on the course and distance before. Things haven't gone exactly as we'd like this year, but hopefully we can rectify it on Sunday."

Fellow Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride from the outside post.

"We'll see how the race comes up, he doesn't necessarily need to be on the lead," Walsh said. "He just needs a good pace. It's all about the fractions and the pace, and there's nobody better than Johnny V.

"These races tend to be a little exclusive, so you tend to get similar horses in them all the time. Hopefully we'll get something like last year and get him back to winning ways. Going long is the best for him, and I think he's as good as he ever was, so hopefully he can prove it on Sunday."

Testosterstone, who ran second in the Greenwood Cup, has one win in nine career Belmont starts. The Gary Sciacca trainee will be looking for his first stakes win in drawing the rail. Dylan Davis will be in the irons.

Let Me Go First, who finished three-quarters of a length behind Testosterstone for third last out, will be making his first start on Big Sandy for trainer John Servis. Kendrick Carmouche has the call from post 5.

Turco Bravo will be making his 62nd career start, drawing post 3 for trainer David Cannizzo. The 8-year-old Chilean-bred, who has 14 wins and 15 runner-up finishes on his ledger, will be running at 1 5/8 miles for the first time.

Turco Bravo will have the services of Manny Franco, who rode him to a third-place finish last out in a claiming race on September 3 at the Spa.

Archanova earned a 91 Beyer for his third-place effort in the Birdstone, marking a successful effort in his stakes debut in his 15th career start. The 4-year-old gelding, trained by Ian Wilkes, will race for the first time on Big Sandy out of post 4. Chris Landeros will ride.