Commissioner Sitting on Ready in Skip Away
Based on his past form, Commissioner appears to be sitting on a big race when he returns to Gulfstream Park for Saturday’s 25th running of the $150,000 Skip Away (G3) for older horses.
The 1 3 1/6-mile Skip Away is one of eight stakes, seven of them graded, on a spectacular 14-race card anchored by the 64th running of the $1 million Besilu Stables Florida Derby (G1). First race post time is noon.
WinStar Farm’s Commissioner has alternated strong and so-so efforts at Gulfstream, most recently finishing sixth behind stablemate Constitution after pressing the pace in the 1 1/8-mile Donn Handicap (G1) Feb. 7. He shows five sharp works since that race, including a bullet half-mile in 48.13 seconds Sunday at Palm Beach Downs.
A 4-year-old son of A.P. Indy, Commissioner was third by a neck as the favorite in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance Jan. 10 at Gulfstream to open his 2015 campaign. It was his first start since being beaten a head in the Belmont Stakes (G1) last June.
Last winter, Commissioner won an entry-level allowance going 1 1/8 miles but was never in contention finishing sixth in the Fountain of Youth (G2). He went on to run third in the Sunland Derby (G3) and second in the Peter Pan (G2) prior to the Belmont.
“He’s run four times at Gulfstream, two times really well and two times not so well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I think the mile and three-sixteenths will suit him perfectly, and he seems to be in good order. He had no excuse in the Donn. He was traveling well. The race accelerated at the top of the stretch and he just kind of continued on a bit. It wasn’t a bad effort; it just wasn’t quite as good as Constitution’s and a couple of other ones.”
Florida-bred Grade 2 winner East Hall makes his fourth start of the year in the Skip Away, three weeks after running fifth in the one-mile Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2). Also fifth in the Donn, the 4-year-old Graeme Hall gelding ran second to Sr. Quisqueyano in the Sunshine Millions Classic Jan. 17.
“The last race we were really looking ahead to the Skip Away. We used it to help him get ready,” trainer Bill Kaplan said. “This horse wants and needs two turns and the longer the better for him, so the Skip Away is right in his wheelhouse.”
Fifth in last year’s Florida Derby, Jack Hendricks and Roger Justice’s East Hall closed 2014 with a flourish, winning the Ohio Derby, Indiana Derby (G2) and Sunshine Millions Classic Preview over his last four starts.
“We got beat up a little bit going up against the big races last year. He wasn’t quite up to it at that time, so dropped into some other races and she showed he can handle that level without a problem,” Kaplan said. “I’m hoping he can handle the Grade 1 types at the classic distances, so this mile and three-sixteenths should help prove it, or disprove it.”
Sr. Quisqueyano makes his return to Gulfstream after leaving South Florida for the first time for the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) March 7, where he raced inside early and faded to run ninth of 13 behind Shared Belief.
“He seems like he came away from the ship well. Flying takes a whole lot less out of them than vanning does. I’d like another week but I don’t think the race is coming up super tough. He did run third in the race last year, so we’ll take a shot,” trainer Peter Walder said. “There were a couple other spots to consider, but this is home. It’s Florida Derby day and we want to support the cause. He loves the track and it’s the last shot to run here for good money.”
Walder claimed 5-year-old Sr. Quisqueyano, a career winner of nearly $715,000 in purses, for $62,500 on behalf of Ron Paolucci’s Loooch Racing Stables out of a runner-up finish to subsequent Grade 3 winner Race Day Dec. 21 at Gulfstream. In the first start for his new connections, the son of Exclusive Quality beat graded winners East Hall and Wildcat Red in the Sunshine Millions Classic.
“We didn’t look at it as an upset. He was 20-1 because the handicappers thought he was going to go to the lead. If the handicappers knew we were going to rate, I don’t think he was going to be 20-1,” Walder said. “Just because he ran for ($62,500) doesn’t he’s a claiming horse. Before that win he made $500,000 and you don’t do that by not being a good horse.”
Multiple Grade 3-placed Ulanbator, who beat Commissioner in a Gulfstream allowance Jan. 10, Pegasus (G3) runner-up Encryption and Tryer complete the field.
Valid, Confrontation Clash Again in $100,000 Sir Shackleton
Crossed Sabres Farm’s multiple graded stakes winner Valid will meet up for the third time this winter with Confrontation in the $100,000 Sir Shackleton for older sprinters on the main track.
Trained by Marcus Vitali, Valid was a gutsy winner of the one-mile Fred Hooper (G3) Feb. 7 by a neck over Grande Shores, with subsequent Grade 3 winner Race Day third by another neck. Confrontation wound up fourth, beaten 2 ¾ lengths.
On Jan. 10, Confrontation had the lead in the stretch but came up a half-length short of multiple Grade 1 winner Lea in the one-mile Hal’s Hope (G3). Valid dueled on the lead before fading to fourth, beaten less than two lengths.
Also entered are multiple graded stakes winner Pants On Fire, most recently third in the Dec. 13 Harlan’s Holiday at Gulfstream; Grade 3-placed Almost Famous, making his first start since Sept. 27; Grade 2-placed Tarpy’s Goal, a winner of his last two starts at Gulfstream; Brothersofthetime, sixth in the Hooper; and last-out winners Sam Sparkle and Tairneach.
Source: Gulfstream Park