East Hall Preps for 'Big Year' in Sunshine Millions
Jack Hendricks and Roger Justice’s East Hall continues to gear up for his anticipated 4-year-old debut in the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Classic on January 17 at Gulfstream Park.
The Florida-bred Grade 2 winner looked good Sunday morning following his five-furlong breeze in a sharp 1:00.48 over the main track on Saturday, the fifth-fastest of 24 horses at the distance.
It was the second work for East Hall since ending his 2014 season with a two-length victory over favored fellow Florida-bred and multiple graded stakes winner Wildcat Red in the Sunshine Millions Classic Preview on November 8 at Gulfstream Park West.
“He worked beautiful, absolutely beautiful,” trainer Bill Kaplan said. “We just let him cruise around there. I said to just let him do whatever he wanted to do down the lane, and he went nice.”
Jockey Juan Leyva was aboard for the work, but Kaplan said Luis Saez will return to ride in the Sunshine Millions. Saez, who entered Sunday’s card tied with Javier Castellano atop the current Championship Meet standings at 21 wins apiece, was up for victories in the Classic Preview and Indiana Derby (G2).
East Hall won three of his last four starts in 2014, which saw him run 11 times and included runner-up finishes in the Quality Road and Sir Bear Stakes and third-place efforts in the Gulfstream Park Derby, now the Mucho Macho Man, and OBS Championship Stakes.
“There was nothing wrong with him; we just gave him a little break,” Kaplan said. “He had a hell of a campaign. We took it easy on him for a month and we’re just starting to bring him back now. He’ll have one more work next week and then we’ll be ready to go.”
In his career, East Hall has five wins, three seconds and four thirds with earnings of $723,305 from 19 starts, all but three in his native Florida.
“He’s gained some weight, he’s stronger, he’s very happy and he’s fresh,” Kaplan said. “We’re looking forward to a big year with him, but in this business we have to keep our fingers crossed.”
Kaplan is doing the same with 3-year-old filly Ekati’s Phaeton, a half-length winner of the six-furlong Old Hat (G3) on Saturday at Gulfstream. “She’s doing great. She’s an amazing filly,” Kaplan said. “She’s got more than she’s shown so far. When she gets in front she waits on horses, so it was nice to see her run the way she did yesterday.”
Kaplan is considering the $200,000 Forward Gal (G2) at seven furlongs on January 24 for Ekati’s Phaeton, who is 3-for-3 on dirt at Gulfstream in her career. “The Forward Gal is a possibility,” Kaplan said. “It’s in three weeks so we’ll have to see if things go well, which I anticipate they will. She’s undefeated at Gulfstream Park, so we want to stay here.”
Source: Gulfstream Park Communications