Graydar draws off in New Orleans Handicap

Graydar is now four-for-five lifetime (Lynn Roberts/Hodges Photography) Not only is trainer Todd Pletcher fully loaded for this year’s Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, but America’s leading trainer also has the Eastern U.S.’s top handicap horse Graydar, who notched his second consecutive stakes win in Saturday’s Grade 2, $396,000 New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds. Wire-to-wire winner of the Grade 1 Donn Handicap in his 2013 debut, Graydar settled off the pace in the New Orleans under Edgar Prado while racing in the clear. Ahead of him were Majestic Harbor, who carved out fractions of :23 3/5, :47 3/5 and 1:11 4/5, and Mark Valeski, last-out winner of the Grade 3 Mineshaft Handicap. Round the final turn, Mark Valeski seized control from Majestic Harbor with Graydar in close pursuit. The two were heads apart passing the sixteenth pole, but Graydar got past that rival soon after and opened up a 1 3/4-length advantage at the wire. Final time for nine furlongs on a fast track was 1:49. The 6-5 favorite, Graydar paid $4.60, $3 and $2.40. He is owned by Twin Creeks Racing Stables, a partnership that includes Hall of Fame quarterback and Louisiana native Terry Bradshaw.

Mark Valeski held second by three parts of a length over second choice
Bourbon Courage. Completing the order of finish were Macho Macho, Flat Out,
Majestic Harbor, Cool Street and Dreaming Blue.

After RNA’ing for $85,000 as a yearling at the 2010 Keeneland September sale,
Graydar sold for $260,000 at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton Florida February two-year-old
sale. He made a belated three-year-old debut last April at Gulfstream, leading
all the way for a 8 1/2-length win maiden win, but was sidelined afterward until
September, returning with a third versus entry-level allowance foes at Belmont
Park.

After another three-month freshening, Graydar posted a convincing 4
1/4-length score at Gulfstream on December 8 over second-level allowance foes,
and then romped in the February 9 Donn by three lengths. His record now stands
at 5-4-0-1, $601,560.

Bred in Kentucky by Will Farish, Graydar is out of the winning Dehere mare
Sweetest Smile, who is also the dam of Grade 2-placed Union Course and multiple
Grade 3-placed Star of David. This is the female family of recent Florida
Sunshine Millions Classic winner Ron the Greek, who captured the Grade 1 Santa
Anita Handicap and Grade 1 Stephen Foster last year; and Grade 2-winning
millionaire Musket Man, who finished third in the 2009 editions of the Kentucky
Derby and Preakness.

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