Tommy Macho sweeps to victory in the Hal's Hope
Five-year-old Tommy Macho returned to his favorite racing surface at Gulfstream Park and swept to victory in the $150,000 Hal’s Hope Stakes. After looking beaten in the early going, the Todd Pletcher trainee rallied from off the pace to draw away to a 5 3/4 length victory in the one-turn mile.
Sent off as the 2.60-1 betting favorite, Tommy Macho was reunited with jockey Luis Saez, who had last ridden him to victory three starts ago in the one mile Fred Hooper (G3) also at Gulfstream in February of 2016. Saez broke the son of Macho Uno alertly out of the number two post position and was happy to settle in third place during the early going.
Dolphus, the half brother of Rachel Alexandra, was hustled out of the gate to set the early fractions of 23.15 and 45.37 while running on the rail. As Bird Song pressed the early leader from the outside, Tommy Macho appeared to be beaten.
That was certainly not the case because as the field started to turn for home, the lightly raced Tommy Macho began to gain momentum. Saez eased him off the rail and looked for racing room. There was plenty of pace to run into after six furlongs went in 1:09.55. Realm was also making an outside closing move and had drawn even with Bird Song who had inherited the lead from Dolphus.
Entering the stretch Tommy Macho was in full stride, but had to go through tight quarters between Realm and Bird Song. Once he got through there, the race was over as he and Saez easily left the field behind. Bird Song was able to hold off Realm in the battle for second and third place money.
“I think when he felt a little bit in the middle of horses, he felt a little intimidated, and he started to back up,” said Saez. “That’s why the horse on the rail stole my position and I came out and I almost clipped heels. Then I hit my horse and he started running. He came back and beat them like nothing happened.”
Tommy Macho is owned in partnership by Paul Pompa Jr. and J Stables LLC. After the race, part owner and bloodstock agent Chad Summers talked about the horse that he purchased for only $25,000 as a yearling, “He’s a horse that loves this track. He’s run here twice. First tie out at 81-1 he ran third and he came back won here last year. He loves this track and Todd [Pletcher] said he was doing good heading into the race. So, we were hopeful.”
Previously known as the Creme Fraiche Handicap, the race was renamed in 2003 to honor its 2002 winner, Hal’s Hope. That Florida-bred was a multiple graded stakes winner of the Florida Derby and the Gulfstream Park Handicap.
Tommy Macho, who was third behind Frosted in the 2015 Pennsylvania Derby (G2), won his third career grade three in the Hal’s Hope upping his career record to 12: 5-1-3 with earnings of $548,970.
“Unfortunately we had to do knee surgery on him after he won here last year so it’s almost been a year to get him back on form. His first couple of starts he seemed a little bit rusty but he’s been training better and it seems like he likes this track a lot. We’ve been pointing for this for a while and it’s nice to see him come over and step up. Anytime you have a horse come back from a knee injury like that and have to have surgery and come back and regain form it’s fun to see and rewarding to see him come back and do well.”
At the windows, Tommy Macho paid $7.20, 4.40, 3.20 across the board the exacta with Bird Song returned $45 and the trifecta that was completed by Realm was $165.40. The final time for the mile was 1:35.20.