By Jessica Martini
A pair of Godolphin homebreds with 2-year-old graded stakes wins on their resumes will kick off their sophomore seasons Saturday, with GII Nashua S. winner Avery Island (Street Sense) going postward in the GIII Withers S. at Aqueduct and GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. winner Enticed (Medaglia d'Oro) lining up for the GII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream Park.
“Avery Island flies to New York Tuesday morning and he'll run Saturday in the Withers because he won the Nashua at Aqueduct and he was second in the Remsen at Aqueduct, so we think he is familiar with the track and we thought that was the way to go,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Monday.
Stretched to 1 1/16 miles for his second career start, Avery Island graduated by 5 1/4 lengths at Belmont Park last September (video) before a commanding victory in the Nov. 5 GII Nashua S. at Aqueduct (video). He concluded his juvenile campaign with a runner-up effort behind Catholic Cowboy (More Than Ready) in the Dec. 2 GII Remsen S.
Avery Island has been working steadily at McLaughlin's winter base at Palm Meadows, most recently going five furlongs in 1:00.75 (6/32).
“Avery Island is improving every day,” McLaughlin said. “Every race he's run, he has improved and he improves every morning in his training. We're very happy with him. We're excited about Saturday.”
A debut winner at Saratoga last September (video), Enticed was third behind Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior) and recently named champion juvenile Good Magic (Curlin) in the Oct. 7 GI Champagne S. He battled to a narrow victory when last seen in the Nov. 25 GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. (video) at Churchill Downs and makes his fourth start at a fourth track Saturday.
Enticed tuned up for his Holy Bull assignment with a four-furlong work at Palm Meadows last Friday in :49.75 (15.28).
“Enticed is doing very well,” McLaughlin said. “He worked Friday and the track was a little bit slower when he worked. He worked in :49 and a couple, but he worked well and is doing well. We'll see how it goes Saturday in Florida.”
Enticed is the first foal to race out of Godolphin's multiple Grade I winner It's Tricky (Mineshaft). Now 10, the mare won the 2011 GI Acorn S. and GI Coaching Club American Oaks, as well as the 2012 GI Ogden Phipps H., for McLaughlin.
Asked if he sees similarities between mother and son, McLaughlin laughed, “No. Luckily not because she was properly named–It's Tricky. She was tricky and was known to misbehave from time to time. He is a classy, classy colt that does everything right. But we see some similarities in their abilities because she was one of the best fillies that I ever trained. It's nice to have a Medaglia d'Oro out of her that is so classy and does everything right and is talented.”
McLaughlin is ready to get the 2018 Triple Crown trail started.
“This is what we hope for every year,” McLaughlin said. “We're just keeping our fingers crossed. It's still quite a ways away from the first Saturday in May, but we are happy to have two of them heading that way and running this Saturday in important prep races.”
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