Stronach Stables’ homebred GIANT GIZMO (Giant’s Causeway) broke outward at
the start and raced wide on both turns, but he still proved much the best in
Monday’s $400,000
Lone
Star Park H. (G3), recording his third consecutive win with a two-length
decision. Trained by Bobby Frankel, the four-year-old colt has proven quite
versatile over the last nine months, winning on turf, synthetic, and fast and
sloppy dirt tracks. The Kentucky-bred moved his mark to 11-6-1-1, $508,685, when
completing 8 1/2 furlongs over the fast track in 1:43.
Encaustic (Broad Brush) broke alertly and established contested fractions in
:23 1/5, :46 4/5 and 1:10 1/5. Giant Gizmo was content to stalk in fourth during
the early stages before advancing to challenge on the final bend, and he cruised
to the lead at the quarter-pole. With jockey Garrett Gomez providing steady
encouragement through the stretch, the chestnut passed the mile mark in 1:36
and easily held to the wire. Zanjero (Cherokee Run)
rallied from last to garner runner-up honors, and it was two lengths back to
Stella Mark (Benchmark) in third.
Favored at 6-5, the winner paid $4.40, $2.80 and $2.80 while keying the $10
exacta with 3-2 second choice Zanjero, who returned $2.40 and $2.10. Stella Mark
was good for $4 at 7-1 after edging fourth-placer Encaustic by a nose. The
trifecta paid $43.60, and the 7-2-6-1 superfecta was $174.80. Next under the
wire came Beta Capo (Langfuhr), Cowtown Cat (Distorted Humor) and One Lucky Buck
(Thats Our Buck). Won Awesome Dude (Awesome Again) was scratched.
The first foal out of the multiple stakes-winning Golden Antigua (Hansel),
Giant Gizmo is from the same female family of three-time Grade 1-winning
millionaire Mi Selecto (Explodent); South African champion Blossoming Fields
(Badger Land); and multiple Grade 2 winner Bar Dexter (True Knight). He has an
unraced juvenile half-brother named Slick Pardoned Me (Skip Away); an unnamed
yearling half-sister by Golden Missile; and a 2008 half-sister by Ghostzapper.
Giant Gizmo was exiting a score in the Alysheba S. (G3) on the Kentucky Oaks
(G1) undercard.