Saturday’s $500,000 Donn H. (G1), Gulfstream Park’s first Grade 1 event of
the meet, was the launching point for Saint Liam’s Horse of the Year season in
2005, and the 1 1/8-mile race has drawn another strong field this year. Top
contenders include MAGNA GRADUATE (Honor Grades) and SUAVE (A.P. Indy), but
there is no shortage of win candidates among the nine entrants.
Magna Graduate really came on at the end of last year, recording consecutive
wins in the Pegasus S. (G3) and Discovery H. (G3) before a thrilling head
decision in the Clark H. (G2). The Todd Pletcher representative hooked up with
Suave at the top of the stretch that afternoon and battled him all the way to
the wire. Suave won the Saratoga Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) in his second start last
year and followed with a runner-up effort in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).
After finishing fifth, beaten only three lengths, in the Breeders’ Cup Classic
(G1), the Paul McGee charge ran huge in the Clark.
SUPER FROLIC (Pine Bluff), whose form really took off after being transferred
to conditioner Vladimir Cerin last summer, merits serious respect. The
six-year-old captured the Hawthorne Gold Cup (G2) in his second start for Cerin
and made his next attempt in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Dismissed at 69-1, Super
Frolic stumbled badly at the start and trailed far behind down the backstretch
at Belmont Park, but he rallied stoutly on the far turn and through the stretch
to be fourth, beaten only 2 3/4 lengths.
Nick Zito has a dangerous three-pronged coupled entry in ANDROMEDA’S HERO (Fusaichi
Pegasus), PIES PROSPECT (Crafty Prospector) and SEEK GOLD (Touch Gold). Belmont
S. (G1) runner-up Andromeda’s Hero turned in a very positive showing when
winning the Fred W. Hooper H. (G3) last out, and multiple Grade 3 hero Pies
Prospect finished second in last year’s Gulfstream Park H. (G2). Grade 2-placed Seek Gold will
attempt to pick up the pieces from off the pace.
BRASS HAT (Prized), a multiple Grade 2 winner in 2004, will continue his
comeback in the Donn. Sidelined for nearly 13 months due to a condylar fracture,
the Bill Bradley gelding won his second start back, the Prairie Bayou S. at
Turfway Park in mid-December, before posting a smart 2 1/2-length score in the New
Orleans H. (G2) in his last start.
ON THIN ICE (Tactical Cat), a 5 3/4-length winner of the Hal’s Hope H. (G3)
on Gulfstream’s opening weekend, will lead the post parade under a 116-pound
impost that includes Shaun Bridgmohan. Next comes Suave, Edgar Prado, 117; WEST
VIRGINIA (Tomorrows Cat), Chris DeCarlo, 114; Magna Graduate, John Velazquez,
119; Super Frolic, Cornelio Velasquez, 118; Seek Gold, Javier Castellano, 113;
Andromeda’s Hero, Rafael Bejarano, 115; Pies Prospect, Jeremy Rose, 114; and
Brass Hat, Willie Martinez, 118.