Casual Trick, an impressive maiden winner at Churchill
Downs in his second career start, is being pointed to the inaugural running
of the Gulfstream Park Derby on January 1.
“I think I’m going to run him in
the Gulfstream Derby,” trainer Nick Zito said. “He only broke his maiden in his
last race, but I think it’s a good place to start.”
Casual Trick looked like a
colt with a stakes future at Churchill on November 18, when he pressed the early
pace between horses before opening up in the stretch and going on to score by 2
1/2 lengths at a mile. The son of Bernardini had previously debuted with a fifth-place finish at
Saratoga in what has become a key race won by runaway winner Fire on Ice.
Last season, Zito saddled Dialed In for a victory in the
Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream off an impressive maiden victory at
Churchill Downs. Dialed In went on to win the Grade 1 Florida Derby, giving his
Hall of Fame trainer his third success Gulfstream’s premier race for
3-year-olds, joining Ice Box (Pulpit) (2010) and High Fly (2005). Casual Trick
is also owned by Robert LaPenta, whose colors were carried to victory in the
Florida Derby by Dialed In and Ice Box.
In other news from Gulfstream Park, trainer Marty Wolfson is outlining plans
for a few of his stakes performers.
Stud El Aguila’s three-year-old Indiano will make his first start since finishing
third in the September 24 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx in the Grade 3 Mr.
Prospector Stakes at Gulfstream on New Year’s Eve. The
Mr. Prospector is coming up very strong with rivals expected to include Capt. Candyman Can, Apriority and Nathan’s H Q.
“He’s doing well. There just haven’t been any races I thought he fit since
then,” Wolfson said Friday morning of Indiano, a Kentucky-bred son
of the recently deceased stallion Indian Charlie.
In the Gallant Bob, Royal
Currier got loose on a clear lead and ran the six furlongs in a track-record 1:07 2/5 as he won
by 3 3/4 lengths while Indiano was beaten a half-length for second.
Indiano came to Wolfson last winter after winning his first five career starts
in Panama in 2010. Second to Escort in an allowance race in March in his
Gulfstream debut, he was runner-up to Travelin Man in the Grade 2 Swale. Indiano
then finished fifth in the Grade 3 Derby Trial at Churchill Downs, but rebounded
with three straight
stakes wins over the summer at Calder, including the Grade 2 Carry Back Stakes in
July.
Wolfson has several other stakes runners getting ready for engagements here in
the near future, including Michel Jean Zerolo’s three-year-old filly Louvakhova and
Good Friends Stable’s four-year-old Golden Moka.
Louvakhova is a Kentucky-bred
daughter of Maria’s Mon, but made her first six starts in France with one win
and five seconds before coming to Wolfson in late September.
“I thought she was a good filly from the time she came to the barn, and
wasn’t surprised when she won that first race so impressively,” the trainer said of Louvakhova’s 4 1/4-length victory in the Frances A. Genter Stakes going
a mile on turf at Calder on October 15.
“It’s been a little frustrating not to have run her since then, but it’s just
been one thing or another. I had her entered in a race in Kentucky (Wolfson had
a small string in Kentucky in the fall) and she drew post 12 and I didn’t want
to run her.
“Then she’s ended up on the also-eligible list twice here, but she’s ready
and I hope to run her in the (Grade 3) Marshua’s River (at 1
1/16 miles on turf on January 7).”
Golden Moka was also entered in a race here recently but drew the 1 post and
was scratched. He will be entered back soon and will be making his first start
since March and first for Wolfson. The Canadian-bred son of Golden Missile is
owned by a partnership that includes former jockey Rene Douglas and made
headlines in the summer of 2010 when he won the $500,000 Princes of Wales Stakes
at Fort Erie when trained by Brian Lynch.