Motion going after third straight Spiral

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Florence, KY (Sports Network) - Trainer Graham Motion has saddled the last two winners of the Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park and has nominated four to this year's 42nd edition.

Motion, who won the 1 1/8-mile stakes with Animal Kingdom (2011) and Went the Day Well (2012), has nominated Crop Report and Cerro for Team Valor; Intrepid Citizen for Team Valor and Paul Fowler Jr.; and Heat Press for Kevin Plank's Sagamore Farm. Team Valor was the winning owner the last two years.

A total of 130 3-year-olds have been nominated to the Spiral Stakes which will be run on Saturday, March 23. A victory in the race will be worth 50 points toward starting in the Kentucky Derby on May 4.

Among the 15 nominees from trainer Todd Pletcher's stable is Eclipse Award winner Shanghai Bobby who captured last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Pletcher, winner of the Spiral with Balto Star (2001) and Flower Alley (2005), also has Withers Stakes winner Revolutionary nominated.

Pasco Stakes winner Dynamic Sky is one of five nominees from the barn of Mark Casse.

Eclipse Award winning trainer Dale Romans, going for his first Spiral Stakes victory, has six 3-year-olds nominated.

Fear the Kitten, second in last month's Southwest Stakes, is one of seven from trainer Mike Maker's barn. Maker won the Spiral with With a City (2006) and Dean's Kitten (2010).

Entries for the $550,000 Spiral Stakes will be drawn at Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati, the race sponsor, on Wednesday, March 20.