Coal Front Heads Stacked Jerkens

New name, same loaded field. The GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S., heretofore known as the GI King's Bishop S., almost always attracts a high-quality field of 3-year-olds as the only Grade I on the calendar for sophomore sprinters. This year, the only thing different is the race's moniker, as 'TDN Rising Star' Coal Front (Stay Thirsty) heads a nine-horse field oozing with top-level ability.

Having his debut delayed until Apr. 20 of this year, the $575,000 OBS April buy proved worth the wait, romping to a 6 1/2-length graduation at Keeneland and earning his Rising Star badge. The dark bay followed that up an allowance tally June 8 at Belmont and stayed unbeaten with his first graded score in the local GII Amsterdam S. July 29. Coal Front received a 105 Beyer for that effort, tied for tops in this field, and has registered two easy half-mile breezes in the interim.

“I think with this race, post position is very important,” trainer Todd Pletcher told the NYRA notes team. “He's not one who is going to be way off the pace, but drawing outside will provide him some options. There's a lot of speed in the race, so position is key.”

The only horse to match that 105 figure is another 'TDN Rising Star,' albeit one who has taken a much more circuitous route to this engagement than Coal Front. Takaful (Bernardini) burst onto the scene with an eight-length blowout win first out at Belmont Oct. 29 to get his Rising Star nod, but he faded to finish third in the GII Remsen S. and beat two horses total in the GIII Jerome S. and GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S. Given over four months off and turned back to six furlongs here opening day, the dark bay went wire-to-wire for a 5 1/4-length success and his big Beyer. Takaful has yet to prove he can successfully rate, however, and he figures to take early pressure after drawing well inside of Coal Front and longshot speedster Phi Beta Express (Afleet Express).

“He seems to be most effective at one-turn distances,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “He's fast, but he doesn't have to be on the lead. Jose [Ortiz] knows him now and his last was fabulous. He's won over this track, which is important, and it's a step up from an allowance race to a Grade I obviously, but we feel like he belongs and is doing very well so we're happy with him.”

If the pace gets hot, that should set things up for the race's two morning line favorites, American Anthem (Bodemeister) and Practical Joke (Into Mischief). The former is two-for-two after cutting back to one turn, capturing the GIII Laz Barrera S. and GII Woody Stephens S., while the latter, fifth in the GI Kentucky Derby, impressively annexed the one-turn GIII Dwyer S. before running a close third in the GI betfair.com Haskell Invitational last out. Practical Joke broke his maiden and won the GI Hopeful S. over the Spa oval.

“He's been training very well up here since the Haskell,” said trainer Chad Brown. “It's certainly a lot to ask cutting back to seven-eighths from the mile and an eighth distance, but he's had success running here before and he's really been doing well up here so we're up to the challenge.”