BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Conviction, an easy winner of a maiden special weight versus Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park in his first start, steps up into stakes for his second race in the $250,000 Bowman Mill at Keeneland Saturday. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Conviction has the inside post in the field of five 2-year-olds sprinting six furlongs.
A stakes victory outside the Sunshine State by Conviction earns breeder Nancy Stone of Ocala, Florida a $4,000 Export Incentive from the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
An $800,000 purchase out of Steven Venosa’s SGV Thoroughbreds consignment by MyRacehorse and Joseph at this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale, Conviction was a convincing winner of his first race going five furlongs at Gulfstream on April 22. He pressed early leader and fellow Florida-bred Ez David through a quick quarter mile :22.07 clip then pulled away in the stretch to win by three lengths.
An earner of $39,000 in his one start, the bay colt is by Tiz the Law out of Deep Trouble, by Into Mischief and is a half-brother to Florida-bred Curtain Call, who was third in last year’s Spendthrift Farm Hopeful (Grade 1) at Saratoga Race Course.
Conviction is 5-2 on the morning line and Tyler Gaffalione has been named to ride.
Booked enters off a third-place finish in this year’s Hopeful won by The Good Life going seven furlongs on September 6. A winner of the six-furlong Sanford (G3) on July 4 at Saratoga, Booked was also second in the six-and-a-half-furlong Saratoga Special (G2) on August 1.
By Yaupon out of Fingerprint, by Competitive Edge, the Steve Asmussen-trained Booked has earned $290,520 from two wins and two seconds in five starts for Jackpot Farm, Alvin Fults, Jason Itkin and Michael D. Smith.
Jose Ortiz has the call on Booked from post five and they are the morning line favorites at 6-5.
Asmussen will also saddle Grand Yaupon, the second choice in the program at 9-5.
Grand Yaupon won the $150,000 Clever Trevor going six-and-a-half-furlongs at Remington Park in most his recent start and was second to Salahudin in the $250,000 Ellis Park Juvenile presented by Claiborne racing seven furlongs on August 9. Those two races bookmark an eighth-place finish in the Keeneland Sales Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint on grass on August 29.
Grand Yaupon is by Yaupon out of Media Circus, by Mineshaft and has earned $215,613 from two wins and a second in five lifetime races.
Keith Asmussen will take the reins on Grand Yaupon and they are set to depart the number two starting position.
Competing the field are Just for Pipa and jockey Edgard Morales and Rafael Bejarano will ride Teacher.
Return to the October 23 issue of Wire to Wire
