Gidu Headlines Hall of Fame Stakes

[Wandering Eyes]

‘TDN Rising Star’ Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), a respectable sixth in Royal Ascot’s six-furlong G1 Commonwealth Cup June 22, stretches out to 1 1/16 miles in Friday’s GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. at Saratoga.

The gray, a very close second in Gulfstream’s GIII Dania Beach S. Feb. 3, previously put together back-to-back victories in Tampa’s Columbia S. Mar. 10 and Belmont’s Paradise Creek S. May 26.

“I thought he ran well [at Royal Ascot],” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He’s won at a mile and it’s kind of that time of year where there’s not a ton of options for 3-year-olds on the turf going six to seven furlongs, so we’re going to try to stretch him out to a mile and a sixteenth and see how he handles that.”

Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a smart come-from-behind winner in his first two trips to the post, including an optional claimer at Belmont June 8, closed into a very slow pace to complete the exacta as the heavy 2-5 chalk in the Manila S. downstate July 4.

“Raging Bull is doing really well, I’m excited to get him in there,” trainer Chad Brown said. “He’s a lightly raced horse but he has a ton of talent.”

Ride a Comet (Candy Ride {Arg}), a half-brother to GI Belmont S. hero Tapwrit (Tapit), won his last two attempts at trainer Mark Casse’s Woodbine base, headed by the Charlie Barley S. June 30.

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