Donn Handicap on the Docket for Constitution, Danza

Trainer Todd Pletcher is pointing a pair of Grade 1 winners to the first major race for older horses in the country, the $500,000 Donn Handicap (G1) on February 7 at Gulfstream Park. 

Leading trainer at Gulfstream’s Championship Meet for 11 consecutive years, Pletcher is looking at the 1 1/8-mile Donn for both Constitution, hero of the Florida Derby (G1) in March, and upset Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Danza.

“Right now, Constitution is pointing for the Donn. The question is, do we run him in between,” Pletcher said. “I don’t know yet. We might just train him up to the Donn. He came out of his last race very well. We know he likes Gulfstream, and I think this track will carry him a little more than Churchill Downs sometimes does.” 

Owned by Twin Creeks Racing Stables and WinStar Farm, Constitution won the first three starts of his career including the Florida Derby in his stakes debut. He emerged from the race with an injury and did not race again until finishing fourth in an optional claiming allowance on October 12 at Belmont Park. 

In his most recent effort, the 3-year-old Tapit colt was third, beaten 1 ¾ lengths, in the November 28 Clark Handicap (G1) at Churchill under three-time defending Gulfstream leading rider Javier Castellano.           

“Javier was very comfortable with the way he handled the first turn (in the Clark)," Pletcher said. “Javier felt like he was more relaxed than I did watching it, but down the backside he settled pretty well and I thought he ran a big race. He’s just getting back into form. It was only his second start since the Florida Derby and only his fifth lifetime start.”

Danza, meanwhile, has not raced since running a strong third in the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1), only three lengths behind Horse of the Year candidate California Chrome. The sophomore son of Street Boss shocked the Arkansas Derby at odds of 41-1, coming out of a third-place finish in a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream. 

“He came out of the Derby and he was wiped out,” Pletcher said. “He broke out in a skin disease from head to toe and lost some weight, and we decided to just stop on him and point for the Donn and work our way back. We’ll see.” 

Among his promising juveniles, Pletcher said undefeated Hopeful (G1) winner Competitive Edge is training with his string at Palm Beach Downs while Breeders’ Futurity (G1) winner and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up Carpe Diem and Champagne (G1) winner Daredevil are both on the farm at WinStar.

“I’ll talk to [WinStar president, CEO and racing manager] Elliott [Walden] next week and kind of knock out a schedule for them,” Pletcher said.

Source: Gulfstream Park