Hutcheson

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

PROUD ACCOLADE (Yes It’s True) heads a small field of six in Saturday’s
$150,000 Hutcheson S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park, but the Grade 1-winning sophomore has
dropped his past two starts. Therefore, we’re going to look to DEFER (Danzig) to
take this 7 1/2-furlong test at higher odds than his 8-5 rival.

Trained by Shug
McGaughey, Defer has only raced three times during his career, earning two wins and a second in his graded debut, the Nashua S. (G2)
against Rockport Harbor (Unbridled’s Song).
After that one, the bay colt posted an easy win in the Laurel Futurity (G2) at Pimlico,
earning a 101 BRIS Late Pace rating after stalking the early pace. He shortens up
in distance here off that 8 1/2-furlong race, but has been working well in
advance of this one and could go off at a decent price despite having Jerry Bailey in
the saddle.

Proud Accolade scored easy wins in his first three races, including the
Champagne S. (G1) at Belmont Park, before finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile (G1) and fifth in the Hollywood Futurity (G1) to undefeated
champion Declan’s Moon (Malibu Moon). The dark bay colt earned a 108 BRIS Speed
figure for his Champagne win, but his numbers dropped drastically in his next
two. If Proud Accolade can regain his form from last summer, then this race is
his for the taking, but we’re willing to give the Todd Pletcher trainee a race
to see if he rounds back into that form. John Velazquez will be in the irons.

VICARAGE (Vicar) didn’t fare so well last year after breaking his maiden
debut in early July, but quickly showed he couldn’t be counted out with an emphatic 2
3/4-length victory here in his three-year-old bow last out. The uncoupled Pletcher
trainee earned a 99 Speed rating for that allowance win over the track and
worked a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 in mid-January to prepare for this one.
He’ll have Chris DeCarlo back aboard and could prove to be yet another star in
the Pletcher shedrow with the win here.

PARK AVENUE BALL (Citidancer) could show marked improvement while cutting
back in distance for this one. The James Ryerson-conditioned chestnut took his
first two starts at Monmouth Park by easy margins, then missed by three parts of
a length in his graded debut, the Sapling S. (G3). He returned at Belmont to
capture the Futurity S. (G2) by three lengths, then stretched out in the
Champagne to run fifth. Park Avenue Ball hasn’t raced since that test in early October,
but he could show up here at long odds with a stellar effort in his
sophomore debut. Javier Castellano has the call.

DEVIL AT SEA (Devil His Due) will be making his stakes debut here but based
on his previous two starts, it won’t be his last. The dark bay colt posted a 10
1/4-length win in his maiden debut and then finished second by a half-length to
a highly regarded rival in a Gulfstream allowance last out. He earned a 99 Speed rating for that
seven-furlong event and brings a sharp five-furlong move in 1:00 into this race.
Devil at Sea is our sleeper special at 6-1 on the morning line.

CARSON’S BRIDGE (Carson City) will be making his first start here for trainer
Gary Sciacca, but didn’t do so well in his stakes bow last out and might not be
ready for this caliber just yet. We can’t recommend.