Determinato upsets Spectacular Bid

Determinato will now point for the Hutcheson (Joe Ganley/EquiSport Photos) Last year’s Spectacular Bid S. at Gulfstream Park served as the coming-out party for A Little Warm, and Ron Marano’s DETERMINATO (Closing Argument) hopes that his 14-1 upset in Saturday’s $100,000 renewal of the Spectacular Bid will put him on a similarly progressive trajectory. After accosting 8-5 favorite Gangsterontherun (City Zip) on the far turn, the Larry Pilotti trainee wore down his rival and pulled 1 1/4 lengths clear to earn his first stakes victory. Gangsterontherun, who had not raced since his nine-length maiden conquest on Labor Day, blazed right to the early lead and enjoyed a comfortable advantage through an opening quarter in :21 3/5. Wildcat Formation (Forest Wildcat), by far the longest shot on the board at 68-1, gave brief chase, but was soon overtaken by the stalking Determinato and beat a retreat. Under Eibar Coa, Determinato drew up to Gangsterontherun’s throat latch by the time the half-mile mark was reached in :44 3/5. Although the favorite put up some resistance in upper stretch, Determinato’s persistent challenge proved too much. As Gangsterontherun began to tire, Determinato gained control in midstretch and forged clear. Leave of Absence (Harlan’s Holiday) made headway inside the final sixteenth, but his late rally was not enough to threaten the winner. Determinato took 1:11 to finish six furlongs on the fast track, sparking mutuels of $30.60, $9.20 and $6.60 and keying the $105.80 exacta, $401.80 trifecta and $1,188.20 superfecta (9-5-8-6).

“I thought our best chance was to be close to the pace,” Coa said. “He seems
to run better when he’s into the race more. Plan A was to sit just off the speed
and that’s what we were able to do.

“I’ve worked him the last three times, and those works gave me a lot of
confidence heading into today.”

Leave of Absence took the runner-up spot by 1 1/4 lengths, and the 2-1 second
choice returned $3.80 and $3. Cane Garden Bay (Rockport Harbor), who just
deprived Gangsterontherun of third by a nose, paid $3.60 as the 4-1 third
choice. Gangsterontherun was thus the second straight Spectacular Bid favorite
to finish fourth, following last year’s favorite Discreetly Mine, who later went
on to become the top three-year-old sprinter of 2010.

“I thought he ran well,” jockey Alex Solis said of Gangsterontherun’s
performance. “He just got tired the last sixteenth of a mile.”

Another three-quarters of
a length back from Gangsterontherun came War for Gus (War Front), trailed by
Winchill (Tapit), Dual Exhauzt (Alke) and Wildcat Formation. Grande Shores
(Black Mambo) was scratched.

Bred by the owner’s late father Frank Marano in Florida, Determinato more than doubled his earnings to $102,525 while
improving his scorecard to 6-2-2-0. The Calder-based colt rolled to an 8 3/4-length
maiden win over Grande Shores, but hadn’t been able to follow up until Saturday. Determinato’s best intervening efforts were a pair of seconds, in the
Birdonthewire S. and in an entry-level allowance. He was coming off a
well-beaten seventh in the November 13 Jack Price Juvenile S. on Florida Million
Day.

“We knew he was a nice horse from the beginning,” said Pilotti, who trained
the multiple Grade 3-winning sprint mare U Can Do It for the Marano family a few
years ago. “He’s had a few issues along the way like a pulled muscle and a few
other things. The race before last when he ran a big number (second in
allowance) confirmed what we thought of him.

“The last one (Jack Price Juvenile) was our fault. Ron’s father Frank died
earlier this year, and that race came up around his birthday, so we ran him back
a little quicker than we would have as kind of a tribute, but it didn’t work
out.”

Determinato is out of the stakes-placed
Twilight Mirage (Jeblar), whose latest foal is a juvenile colt named Ocean at
Twilight (Indian Ocean). The colt’s fourth dam is Kentucky Oaks heroine and
influential broodmare Native Street (Native Dancer).

Pilotti said that Determinato would likely return to action in the
seven-furlong Hutcheson S. (G2) on February 26.