Hard Study Faces Eight in Brooklyn

[Wandering Eyes]

Paul Pompa’s homebred Hard Study (Big Brown), who seemed to relish the 1 3/8-miles of the Flat Out S. when he romped home by 5 1/2 lengths last time out, will get an extra furlong to work with Saturday when he goes postward in the GII Brooklyn Invitational. The 5-year-old has won his last three starts and five of his last six outings. He concluded 2017 with a win in the 1 3/4-mile Birdstone S. at Saratoga last August and added a Gulfstream Park optional claimer Mar. 30 before his win in the Flat Out May 4.

John Gunther’s lightly raced homebred Take Your Guns (Blame) steps up in class off a pair of optional-claiming scores this spring. The bay colt went to the sidelines after finishing fourth in last year’s GIII Peter Pan S. in just his third trip to the post. He returned to win over a mile at Gulfstream Mar. 25 and over 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Apr. 28.

War Story (Northern Afleet), winner of last year’s Brooklyn, comes into the 2018 renewal off a narrowly beaten runner-up effort in the Apr. 21 GII Charles Town Classic. The consistent gelding, fourth behind champion Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) in last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, GI Woodward S. and GI Whitney S., was a 5 3/4-length winner of the Mar. 10 Challenger S. at Tampa Bay Downs. before coming up a neck short at Charles Town.

The hard-knocking Mills (Any Given Saturday) will be making his 46th trip to the post Saturday. Claimed for $40,000 by Big Hands Stables and trainer David Donk three starts ago, the 8-year-old was a late-closing second in the Mar. 31 Mr. Sinatra S., a starter stakes at Aqueduct, last time out.

“I know I’m biting off a little more than we can chew here; it’s coming up a very competitive race with Hard Study and Hoppertunity,” said Donk. “I know he’s been in some great hands. He’s in good form and he’s a happy horse. At eight years old–he’s been a pretty sound horse over the years.”

Of the decision to claim the gelding in January, Donk added, “We were looking for horses for a new client. The idea was to run him back for $40,000, but you’re limited on opportunities. I was asked to run him in a $100,000 [1 1/4-mile] claimer in January, and he finished second to a really good horse [Harlan Punch]. They had a two-turn race in the Claiming Crown on Mar. 31 that he was eligible for [$90,000 Mr. Sinatra] and he was a good second again [to Control Group]. I think he’ll appreciate going long. He’s had a couple of good works, he’s smart and classy–we’ll be aggressive here and then decide what we’re going to do for the summer.”

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