BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Second to Fulmineo in the $100,000 James W. Murphy on the turf at Pimlico on May 18, Florida-bred Crystal Quest will try to avenge that loss in a rematch Saturday in the $125,000 Boston for 3-year-olds at Colonial Downs. Eight sophomores have entered the one-mile test on the grass.
Crystal Quest lacked running room coming out of the second turn in the one-mile Murphy and finished two-and-quarter lengths behind Fulmineo. His luck did not improve in one race since where he was bumped and stumbled at the start of the $106,000 Tale of the Cat. He eventually finishing fifth behind winner Carson’s Run going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the Monmouth Park turf on June 23.
A homebred for Live Oak Plantation, Crystal Quest started the year winning three consecutive, including the $100,000 Equistaff Sophomore Turf against Florida-breds going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on March 24 at Tampa Bay Downs.
By Uncle Mo out of Giant Crystal, by Giant’s Causeway, Crystal Quest has won half of his six career races with one second while earning $145,830.
Trainer Michael Trombetta has named Jorge Ruiz to ride Crystal Quest from post four and they are 5-1 on the morning line.
The Murphy was the last start for the Arnaud Delacour-trained Fulmineo, who is the second choice in the program at 2-1. He has three seconds in four other starts this year including a runner-up finish to Full Nelson in the $75,000 Columbia going a mile on the Tampa Bay turf on March 9.
Fulmineo is by Bolt d’Oro out of Starr of Quality by Double Diamond Farm stallion First Dude and has won two with four seconds and a third in nine lifetime starts with earnings of $179,275.
Victor Carrasco will ride Fulmineo from post six.
Mark Casse trains In a Jam, the 9-5 program favorite who exits a length-and-a-quarter victory in the $75,000 Not Surprising going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the Gulfstream synthetic on June 8.
Antonio Gallardo has the mount on the son of Preservationist and they will break from post eight.
Completing the field are Azteca’s Gold with jockey Horacio Karamanos, Catelya Strike and rider Tais Lyapustina, Class Photo has Jorge Vargas Jr. taking the call, Wine Collector with pilot Forest Boyce and Oishi with Mychel Sanchez in the irons.
