Having tried Pablo Del Monte on both grass and synthetics, trainer Wesley
Ward may have found the one surface his horse likes best.
A pair of sharp breezes on Gulfstream Park’s main track prompted Ward to take
a shot with Pablo Del Monte in the $100,000
Gulfstream
Park Derby on New Year’s Day.
The one-mile Gulfstream Park Derby will mark Pablo Del Monte’s debut on dirt,
after winning twice on the Polytrack at Keeneland to open his career before
finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Generous on the Hollywood Park turf November 30
in his most recent start.
Also part of the nine-horse Gulfstream Park Derby field are stakes winners
Aarons Orient and Best Plan Yet, along with Wildcat Red, who crossed the wire
first in the $125,000 Juvenile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream on November 9 but was
disqualified to second for interference.
Bred in Florida and co-owned by Ward with Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and
Susan Magnier, Pablo Del Monte returned from California to work a half-mile in
47 2/5 on December 17, his first look at the dirt. He followed up with a bullet
five-furlong breeze in :59 3/5 on December 24, the fastest of 20 horses.
In the Gulfstream Park Derby, Pablo Del Monte will break from post 6 under
Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux.
“He just couldn’t be training any better, and that’s the reason we’re going
for it,” Ward said. “I’m excited to get him on the dirt. He goes so well over
it, so we’re anxious to see what he can do.”
Pablo Del Monte broke his maiden on April 7 by five lengths going 4 1/2
furlongs, then was off until beating winners at first asking on October 13. Both
victories came in gate-to-wire fashion over the Polytrack at Keeneland.
Ward trained Pablo Del Monte’s dam, One Hot Wish, to wins on turf and
synthetics in 2007-08 so he took a shot in the Generous, also contested at a
mile. With Desormeaux up, Pablo Del Monte ran evenly throughout to finish fifth,
beaten 2 1/2 lengths as the favorite.
“I raced the mother and she was a very fast horse, but she preferred the
Polytrack or the turf,” Ward said. “This guy seemed to have an affinity for
Polytrack early on, and when I breezed him on the grass he breezed OK, but not
outstanding. I took a chance and took him out to Hollywood and he ran an average
race.
“It wasn’t bad; it wasn’t great. He had no troubled trips as far as the
running of the race or anything.
“But since I breezed him on the dirt here at Gulfstream, he just seemed to
love it. We breezed him again (this) week, and he looked great. There’s no
question in my mind he’s going to like it. The turf was always a question for
him. With the breeding he has, I didn’t think it would be a problem but it
really was. I’m looking forward to this race.”
Ward is looking forward to stretching out Pablo Del Monte, whose sire,
Giant’s Causeway, was beaten a neck by Tiznow in the 1 1/4-mile Breeders Cup
Classic in 2000.
“He’s an extremely talented horse. I’m anxious to see how far he can go,”
Ward said. “It’s really the only question I have. I don’t think the mile is
going to be any problem whatsoever, but, obviously, this time of year you’re
thinking big things. You just want to see how far he’ll go.”
Fitted with blinkers for his first three starts, Pablo Del Monte has been
training without them and will not wear them in the race.
“He has a lot of natural speed just because of the talent he has, but I think
he’s very ratable,” Ward said. “Generally, for the most part at this time of
year I take the blinkers off most of the horses just to get them to relax and go
a little further. The first part of the year I try to put the blinkers on to
keep them more focused.
“But, he seemed to relax really well with the blinkers off, so I’m looking
for a big effort.”
Favored on the morning line at 5-2 is Best Plan Yet, who has finished first
or second in five of his six starts this year for trainer Stanley Gold. The Hear
No Evil colt has won the last two, taking the Foolish Pleasure at a mile and 70
yards on September 14 and the 1 1/16-mile In Reality on October 12, and will be
reunited with Jeff Sanchez from post 7.
Trained by Todd Pletcher for owner Gary Barber, Aarons Orient broke his
maiden at Saratoga Race Course in August and followed up by winning the Kip
Deville Stakes at Remington Park on September 29. Most recently, he stumbled at
the start and had a rough trip in the James F. Lewis III Stakes at Laurel Park,
finishing 10th of 12. Second choice in the program at 3-1, he drew post 4 with
jockey Javier Castellano.
Wildcat Red had raced exclusively at Gulfstream, breaking his maiden on
September 14 and beating winners four weeks later. In the Juvenile Sprint, he
took the lead into the stretch and held it to the wire, crossing 1 1/4 lengths
in front but placed second for bearing out in the stretch. Third choice on the
morning line at 5-1, he will carry jockey Paco Lopez and 116 pounds from the
rail.
Off the board in a pair of graded stakes in New York, both at a mile, Grand
Arrival looks to rebound for Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito. The Harlan’s
Holiday colt broke his maiden second time out at Saratoga on August 31. Jose
Lezcano will ride the 20-1 program long shot from post 8.
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