Rhythm to Wear Blinkers in Bid to Get Back on Track

Eclipse Award winner Rhythm has had such a miserable second year of racing that trainer Shug McGaughey is willing to try anything--including blinkers.

Rhythm will race with blinkers for the first time Saturday when he meets six rivals in the $500,000 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

So far, it’s been a disappointing season for Rhythm, last year’s 2-year-old champion when he won three of five starts and captured the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile. This year, the son of Mr. Prospector has won just two of six starts and only one stakes event, the Colin at Belmont on June 6.

In his last outing, Rhythm finished second to Profit Key in the Dwyer.

“I feel no pressure in this race,” McGaughey said. “The most pressure I felt was in the horse’s allowance race after his pitiful performance in the Fountain of Youth and the Gotham.”

Rhythm started the year by finishing seventh in the Hutcheson in Florida and then was 10th in the Fountain of Youth in Florida and fifth in the Gotham in New York. The colt finally won an allowance race at Belmont in May, won the Colin in early June and then was second in the Dwyer on June 30.

That’s where McGaughey got the idea for the blinkers.

“He was ducking from the left hand whip,” McGaughey said. “Now we’ve been schooling him with the blinkers and waving the whip so he gets used to it, and he seems fine.”

The big question is whether Rhythm can beat Profit Key, who drew the rail for the Haskell and was made the early 9-5 favorite. Rhythm is the 2-1 second choice.

Rhythm, who will be ridden by Craig Perret, will carry 121 pounds, one less than Profit Key, who will be ridden by Jose Santos. The two horses both carried 122 pounds in the Dwyer when Profit Key took the lead at the start and posted a 1 1/2-length win.

Secret Hello was made the 3-1 third choice in the race despite having made only two starts this year. The son of Private Account won the St. Paul Derby in his last start at Canterbury Downs in Minnesota. Pat Day has been named to ride the colt, assigned 119 pounds. Secret Hello drew the No. 2 post.

The rest of the field: Baron de Vaux, Jean Cruguet, 117, 12-1; Restless Con, Tim Doocy, 118, 6-1; Rhythm; Tees Prospect, Rick Wilson, 114, 20-1, and Yonder, Jerry Bailey, 118, 10-1.