By Alan Carasso
After finishing behind the likes of future graded winners Olympiad (Speightstown), Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) and Known Agenda (Curlin) in his first three starts, the homebred followed up on a Gulfstream maiden win in late 2020 to take the GIII Holy Bull S. and GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. in his next three appearances. He makes his first start since finishing a well-beaten third behind Known Agenda in the GI Curlin Florida Derby last March. (Click for more from trainer Shug McGaughey in Steve Sherack's APB series)
Also on the comeback trail is Dynamic One (Union Rags), who was second to Greatest Honour in that one's maiden-breaking success before going on to just miss behind stablemate Bourbonic (Bernardini) in the GII Wood Memorial S. last spring. After beating home just one rival in the GI Kentucky Derby, the $725,000 Keeneland September grad defeated the Curlin duo of Miles D and 'TDN Rising Star' First Captain in the July 30 Curlin S. at Saratoga and was last seen finishing seventh in the GI Runhappy Travers S. Aug. 28.
'Rising Star' Shirl's Speight (Speightstown) is a somewhat surprising inclusion in the Challenger, given that three of his four wins have come on the grass, including a 1 1/2-length defeat of defending champion Get Smokin (Got Stormy) in the GIII Tampa Bay S. Feb. 5.
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