Rough Entry for Mouttet Mile

ROUGH ENTRY, the Florida Invader, looks set to run roughshod over his 15 rivals in Saturday’s Mouttet Mile. Unlike the other foreign invitee, EASY AS A. B. C., who has failed to bother the track announcers in two starts locally, ROUGH ENTRY enters the Mouttet Mile as an impressive winner at Gulfstream Park on September 23

Lining up in a six-horse field from the one hole at six furlongs, ROUGH ENTRY broke on top with Edwin Gonzalez, cutting a hole into the wind in an opening quarter of 22.4 before being tackled by the trio of MISTER KELLY, SIR OLLIE and 4-5 favourite, THE DISTRACTOR, heading into a half-mile split of 45.1.

Mobbed and headed off by the trio swinging into the home turn, ROUGH ENTRY dug in under Gonzalez to fight off MR KELLY and SIR OLLIE, galloping strongly past the furlong pole in 57.3, clocking 1:10.3 for a half-length victory.

A six-year-old bay colt, Poseidon’s Warrior-Dixie Ocean, ROUGH ENTRY has won six races from 25 starts, earning US $182,505. A strong on-the-pace runner, ROUGH ENTRY won at seven furlongs on February 24, posting 1:22.4, suggesting he should have no problem getting a mile against the local cast.

Part-owner and trainer Rohan Crichton watched ROUGH ENTRY gallop seven furlongs in 1:30.0 out the mile chute two Sundays ago, returning to the exercise gallops last Saturday with a 59.2 sharpener from the gate, going five furlongs straight last Saturday morning, the first half-mile in 46.0.

Having trained really well, ROUGH ENTRY, the mount of Julien Leparoux, need only reproduce his Gulfstream form to outclass the field for the Ja $12.5m winner’s purse. Frenchman Leparoux has won seven Breeders’ Cup races, including the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Mile with Champion Turf Mare Tepin and the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with Classic Empire.

Renowned as a finesse rider, Leparoux’s style should suit ROUGH ENTRY in what is expected to be a torrid pace with the likes of domicile Americans I AM FRED, IS THAT A FACT and RUNAWAY ALGO, joined by locals SHE’S MY DESTINY, MAHOGANY, MOJITO, ATOMICA and Canada-bred AMERICAN TAP, who won on debut locally.

The handicaps also favour the obviously talented ROUGH ENTRY. Though coming in at 126lb, the American invader is a mere seven pounds heavier than MAHOGANY, possibly the speediest local-bred in the line-up as demonstrated in his Gold Cup loss with topweight 126lb, allowing SHE’S MY DESTINY 17lb.

ATOMICA, who romped the Jamaica Cup at nine and a half furlongs, returns to the mile chute for the first time since winning at seven furlongs in July. Though she’s a super filly, unbeaten in her last five starts, she has shown a glass chin when lined up against the best of the best.

I AM FRED, who closed for second behind MAHOGANY in the recent Port Royal Sprint at six furlongs, appears a strong candidate for the Mouttet Mile runner-up spot.