Fuerteventura Eyes Graded Glory in Bryan Station

Robert LaPenta and breeder Brereton Jones’ Fuerteventura can kick-start a pretty good week for trainer Jonathan Thomas when he goes postward in Saturday’s 18^th running of the $300,000 Bryan Station (G3) for 3-year-olds going a mile on the turf.

“He’s a pretty reliable horse,” Thomas said of Fuerteventura, who comes into the Bryan Station off a runner-up finish in the Pepsi Gun Runner at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 14 to Bryan Station rival Play Action Pass. “We took him back to Monmouth after the Gun Runner and then brought him back here at the first of the meet.”

Fuerteventura won the Jersey Derby in May at Monmouth and then finished sixth over the all-weather surface at Woodbine in the Marine (G3) in July. However, as the year has progressed, he has improved with a runner-up finish in the Saranac (G3) to eventual Coolmore Turf Mile (G1) winner Annapolis before his Kentucky Downs race.

“He is more mature-looking than he was early in the year, and most likely I think that will continue through the winter,” Thomas said.

Thomas could cap his Keeneland stay with a repeat performance from Augustin Stable’s Delight, winner of the JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) by 5 lengths on Oct. 7.

Headed for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), Delight is scheduled to work on the grass Friday morning.