Two Out Hero may be at perfect distance in $175K Bricks and Mortar
Gold Square’s Grade 1-placed Two Out Hero may be at his perfect distance in Saturday’s inaugural $175,000 Bricks and Mortar, a seven-furlong Widener turf test for sophomores, at Belmont Park.
Trained by Kevin Attard, Two Out Hero was second last out in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 2 Franklin-Simpson on September 7 at Kentucky Downs. There, the War Front bay rallied from 6th-of-12 to finish 1 3/4 lengths behind European shipper Take Charge Star, while keeping a head in front of Grade 3-winner Alpyland for second.
Two Out Hero previously captured a seven-furlong optional claimer versus elders by a half-length over next-out winner War Strategy in August at Woodbine Racetrack.
“I thought his race before at Woodbine against older horses was a big performance and it was nice to see him follow it up against 3-year-olds at Kentucky Downs,” Attard said. “That was a very competitive field last time and I thought he ran his race.”
Attard said Two Out Hero seems promising back at seven furlongs.
“I think he’s probably a good horse up to a one-turn mile. He’s tactical and has enough speed to keep himself in contention,” said Attard. “With his speed, I think it just makes him that much more versatile.”
Two Out Hero breezed a sharp half-mile in 47.60 seconds in company over the Woodbine Racetrack Tapeta on Saturday.
“That work went very well, he worked easy,” Attard said. “He was in hand the whole way around there. I’m very happy with the work and it seems like he’s in good order, so all systems go.”
Two Out Hero [post 1, Rafael Hernandez] is 9-3-2-1 overall with $478,646 in earnings, including a one-length third in the Grade 1 Summer last September at Woodbine. He was a $240,000 purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale out of the dual stakes-placed Liam’s Map mare Song River, and his second dam is stakes-winner Harlan’s Honor.
Trainer Miguel Clement holds a strong hand with Big Destroyer [post 3, Antonio Fresu] and Intricate Spirit [post 7, Manny Franco].
LJSS Thoroughbreds’ Big Destroyer was a three-quarter-length second last out in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance versus elders on September 7 at Kentucky Downs. The Midshipman gelding entered that spot off a sixth in the 5 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Mahony in August at Saratoga Race Course after a runner-up finish second-out in the My Frenchman in July at Monmouth Park.
“He was second in a Kentucky Downs allowance and I think he’s improving,” said Clement. “He’s stakes-placed, and he’s just starting to creep up at the right time, in my opinion.”
West Point Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables, Kenneth Beitz and Gail Beitz’s Intricate Spirit looks to return to form after off-the-board finishes in the Quick Call presented by Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation to returning rival Learntodiscover and the Mahony, both 5 1/2-furlong Grade 3s at Saratoga. The Complexity gelding previously won the six-furlong Paradise Creek in May at Belmont at the Big A, his second stakes win to go along with the Grade 3 Futurity last October there.
“He’ll be forwardly-placed. He’s not the most consistent, but sometimes he has been a touch unlucky and he’s been training very well. I’m hoping he bounces back,” Clement said. “It’s a bit tough to predict what type of performance we’ll receive from him, because if you look at his form, he’s run some incredibly good races and some abysmal performances without much of a rational explanation.”
The Estate of R. Larry Johnson’s Doubting Thomas [post 8, Jorge Ruiz] missed the board for the first time in six career starts last out in the one-mile Gio Ponti on September 7 at Saratoga. Trained by Michael Trombetta, the Caravaggio bay previously won the six-furlong Colonial Turf Dash in August at its namesake oval.
“I still question this distance,” Trombetta said. “He didn’t do as well as I was hoping at Saratoga, but that was the first time he’s ever run in a two-turn race. I’m hoping the seven-eighths fits him. I always thought it would, but he was disappointing in the two-turn race. Maybe going back to one-turn here, despite being a little further than six furlongs, he’ll do OK.”
Doubting Thomas, 6-3-2-0 with $261,200 in earnings, is a half-brother to Grade 3-winner Spun Glass out of the dual stakes-placed Songandaprayer mare Allwewantforxmas. His second dam is stakes-winner Grecian Wings.
Rounding out the field are Grade 3-winner Learntodiscover [post 2, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] for trainer Brendan Walsh; stakes-winner Proton [post 4, Samuel Marin] for trainer Graham Motion; Feline Curious [post 9, Jose Lezcano] for conditioner Kelsey Danner; Iron Palace [post 5, Edgard Zayas] for trainer George Weaver; and Six O Clock [post 6, Dylan Davis] for conditioner Arnaud Delacour.
The Bricks and Mortar, named for the Chad Brown-trained 2019 Horse of the Year, is slated as Race 8 on Saturday’s 11-race card, which features the Grade 3, $200,000 Hill Prince in Race 10. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.
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