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COMMANDANT, THIRD behind runner-up and stablemate LEGACY ISLE in December’s Mouttet Mile, a grade-one invitational event, gets his crack at plundering open-allowance opponents, a full level lower, in Saturday’s Alexander Hamilton Memorial at seven furlongs.
In what must be the simplest true-to-form race of the year, Mouttet Mile invitees TIZ TOK, PACK PLAYS and BARNABY have all returned as winners at the open-allowance level after carrying topweight when placing fifth to seventh, respectively, behind fellow American FUNCAANDUN in the Mouttet Mile three months ago.
COMMANDANT, who finished well ahead of TIZ TOK, PACK PLAYS and BARNABY, not only gets a similar bye but carries 116lb, all of 10lb lighter in a lower grade.
RUN JULIE RUN, the local 1000 Guineas heroine and Jamaica Derby runner-up, who skipped the Mouttet Mile to romp the Chairman’s Plate at nine furlongs and 25 yards, carries 119lb, her connections hoping that she will be able to slip COMMANDANT, as she did BARNABY in the Miracle Man on New Year’s Day at seven furlongs.
However, unlike BARNABY, who prefers a slower pace, COMMANDANT was always in striking distance of the leaders throughout the Mouttet Mile’s splits of 46.4, 59.3, and 1:12.1. In the Miracle Man, RUN JULIE RUN was able to saunter in 36.2, 48.0, and 1:00.3 before accelerating to end in 1:12.2, a luxury she won’t be afforded by COMMANDANT.
A winner overseas, COMMANDANT should use his class to frank the Mouttet Mile form, similar to TIZ TOK, PACK PLAYS, BARNABY and, most recent, WALL STREET TRADER.
English (US) ·