GULFSTREAM PARK NOTEBOOK
FEBRUARY 4, 2005
by Dick Powell
World-class racing finally appeared at Gulfstream Park with the running of
the Sunshine Millions on Saturday. Large purses attracted large fields even
though the races were restricted to those bred in either California or Florida.
The first race, the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint S., attracted the speedy
Bear Fan (Pine Bluff), who was making her first start since
July 4. A multiple Grade 2 winner, she was sent off as the 2-5 favorite
off a series of fast works at Palm Meadows for Wesley Ward. Her main competition
looked to be ALIX M (End Sweep), who just missed hanging on in a seven-furlong
stakes at
Calder last out.
Like most sprints, this one was affected by the start when Bear Fan broke
awkwardly and had to be rushed up into contention by John Velazquez. She pressed
the pace set by Mooji Moo (Jeblar) and just when she put away that rival, here
came Alix M in a three-wide drive. The two fillies bumped at the top of
the stretch before Alix M drew off to a 3 1/2-length victory at odds of 9-2.
Bear Fan held on for second and should be much fitter next time out.
The Ocala Stud Dash S. was next on the card and this time the heavy
favorite didn’t disappoint. LOST IN THE FOG (Lost Soldier) came into the race
off two sensational wins from two career starts. The first was spectacular maiden
score at Golden Gate, and the Florida-bred then captured a stakes at Turf Paradise by
more than 14 lengths in a performance that had many people checking their stopwatches for accuracy.
With Russell Baze in the irons, Lost in the Fog gunned to the front right
from the start and went the first half in :44.73. Considering how slow the main
track has played in the last three weeks, he was setting a blazing-fast pace. But if
you didn’t see the teletimer and were just watching him, you would have thought
that the sophomore was out for a
leisurely morning stroll. Baze asked him to run when they straightened out at
the top of the stretch and Lost in the Fog cruised to an easy 4 1/2-length
victory, stopping the teletimer in 1:09.96 for six furlongs.
He’s now three for three – all in sprints – and is so fast that the classic
distances may be out of his reach, but Lost in the Fog figures to be one of the
most exciting three-year-olds racing this year. It will be interesting where trainer Greg
Gilchrist takes him next from his Golden Gate base.
The $500,000 Cloverleaf Farms Filly and Mare Turf S. was second to last and provided an unbelievable finish. When the Gulstream
Park publicity department wants to show video footage of exciting racing, the
stretch run of this race is what they should show.
It would take all day to try to describe the various trips in this
nine-furlong turf
event. All you need to know is when 12 evenly-matched turf fillies sit behind a
slow pace and they all begin to bunch up around the far turn, it’s going to take
some luck to do well.
Defending champ VALENTINE DANCER (In Excess) made her own luck by using her
tactical speed to avoid traffic. Jon Court had her back in third, one off the
rail as the rest of the field let Midwife (Family Calling) set an uncontested pace. Court
had that one measured and correctly made his move with a quarter-mile to go.
Usually, a rider would try to wait as long as he could, but Court tried to break
the race open turning for home and suddenly had a three-length lead in
midstretch.
Behind Valentine Dancer, Marwood (Marlin) was forced to rally six wide and just
when she and Jose Santos tried to straighten out for the drive for the wire, the
mare was bumped hard and knocked off stride by Moscow Burning (Moscow Ballet). As
game as they come, Marwood quickly recovered and set out on a furious rally that
fell a neck short at odds of 19-1.
Marwood was tons the best, but Valentine Dancer made her own luck and held on.
It was another neck back to Changing World (Spinning World), who was three-wide
most of the trip. Scrofa (Unusual Heat), who was a neck behind in fourth, was forced
to go to the outside after having no room in the stretch and she finished a head
in front favorite Moscow Burning, who had no apparent excuse. Vous (Wild
Rush) was able to save ground on the rail for most of the trip and was another
neck back in sixth.
The $1 million Ocala Breeders Sales Classic S. was the last race of the
day featured older horses going nine furlongs on the main track. It also attracted a
field of 12, with MIDAS EYES (Touch Gold) the 2-1 favorite despite never winning
a two-turn race.
There have been 18 races run on the main track at nine furlongs at this
year’s meet and 33 percent of them have been won gate to wire. The hard part of this
field was trying to guess who would make the early lead and take the advantage.
When the gate was sprung, Jorge Chavez sent MUSIQUE TOUJOURS (Musique D’Enfer)
to the front going into the first turn. Eibar Coa was taking no chances and took
up the chase with Zakocity (Precocity) and those two raced as a team through
fast early fractions. Saving ground after being steadied on the first turn was
Classic Endeavor (Silver Buck), who looked like he might be the controlling speed
but was outsprinted for the early lead. If Midas Eyes is ever able to get nine
furlongs, traveling four wide most of the way is not the way to go about it. He
would have been better off using his brilliant speed rather than try to conserve
early energy in a wide trip.
It wasn’t Ridan/Jaipur in the Travers Stakes, but Musique Toujours and
Zakocity raced as a team throughout. With 70-1 odds, it seemed like a matter of
time before Musique Toujours would back up out of the race, but it amazingly never
happened. Turning for home, Chavez actually let it out a notch and opened up a
two-length lead at the eighth-pole. Coa responded with a furious rally with the
28-1 Zakocity and he began to come back and make up ground.
Classic Endeavor was stuck down on the rail in the stretch and had no room when
Zakocity re-rallied inside the eighth-pole. Had Zakocity tired from his early
efforts, Pat Valenzuela would have had enough room aboard Classic Endeavor to swing clear and make
one final run at the Musique Toujours. But the hole never materialized
and Valenzuela was doomed to sit on the rail and wait.
As they neared the wire, Coa was able to coax one last spurt from Zakocity
and unfortunately for them, it fell a desperate neck short as Musique Toujours
held on in a shocking upset. It was classic Chavez; something we haven’t
seen for a while. The superfecta came back over $93k and all the picks that
ended in this race returned boxcar mutuels.
Horses to Watch
Thursday (1/27)
4TH — CAMPIONESSA (A.P. Indy) may have lacked some conditioning in her first
start in 77 days. She chased the pace while down on the inside and then made a
bold middle move four wide before flattening out.
6TH — NATURELLE’S WAY (Skip Away) lost all chance when the leader was left
alone on an easy lead and she broke dead last in a big field. She showed a
preference for this course and will be live next out if Prado rides her back.
7TH — ELUSIVE BABE (Elusive Quality) took a lot of money in her career debut
and ran well despite being four wide around the turn. She had been training well
at Palm Meadows so the effort should not set her back.
Friday (1/28)
2ND — HONEST HASH (Wild Wonder) rallied from far back to get fourth at long
odds in his career debut. Since neither trainer Steve DiMauro nor sire Wild Wonder is noted
for first-out success, look for the sophomore colt to improve with a race under his belt.
6TH — STATUS (Kris S.) is a 6yo maiden that returned to the races off a
706-day layoff for Wesley Ward. He went off as the lukewarm favorite and had one
of the worst trips you would ever want to see.
9TH — FALL FASHION (Forestry) was used hard from an inside post to battle
for the lead before tiring. She won a minor stake here last year going seven
furlongs and
will run a lot better if she draws outside the other speed horses.
Saturday (1/29)
3RD — WALL STREET (Fusaichi Pegasus) was a close third from post 10 in his
career debut going six furlongs. His stakes-winning dam has already produced two stakes
winners herself and he looks like he’ll like longer distances.
4TH — KARELIAN (Bertrando) rallied like a madman from far back to get third
in his turf debut. Bertrando is a very underrated turf sire and the sophomore ran well
enough to merit another try on the grass.
6TH — UP ANCHOR (Polish Navy) was all dressed up with no place to go in the
deep stretch and was still only beaten two lengths.
8TH — SANTANA STRINGS (Wheaton) had no shot behind a monster winner after he
was roughed up at the start but still did well to get second.
9TH — Marwood was tons the best but lost a six-horse photo when she was
bumped hard at the top of the stretch.
Sunday (1/30)
1ST — COMMIT ME (Commitisize) was used hard on the lead after rushing up
from the outside after a stumbling start. Her best races have come from off the
pace and Prado has been Hurtak’s go-to rider at the meet.
3RD — POPPY’S IMAGE (Halo’s Image) dropped down in class and was a good
second behind a gate-to-wire winner who was getting five pounds.
5TH — SIMEON (Lammtarra) was stuck behind a very slow pace then ran into
severe traffic problems on the far turn.
NOTE: Week 3 of the Gulfstream Notebook didn’t appear in last
Friday’s issue but is available on the sidebar.