Hi Happy pounces on One Go All Go in Pan American

La Providencia LLC’s Hi Happy, a multiple Group 1 winner in his native Argentina, got a perfect stalking trip before pouncing on pacesetter One Go All Go around the turn and drawing clear through the stretch to win Saturday’s $250,000 Pan American (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

The 57th running of the 1 ½-mile Pan American for 4-year-olds and up on the grass was the sixth of seven stakes, five graded, worth $2.3 million in purses on a spectacular 14-race Florida Derby Day program, immediately preceding the $1 million Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (G1).

Trained by Gulfstream’s 15-time defending champion Todd Pletcher, who saddled Grade 2-winning program favorite Audible in the Florida Derby, Hi Happy completed the distance in 2:23.85 over a firm turf course. One Go All Go stayed up for second, while Classic Covey rallied up the rail for third and 9-5 favorite and 2017 winner Sadler’s Joy made a belated bid outside for fourth.

“We felt that he ran well at a mile and an eighth last time and today we felt with that race under his belt, he would perform,” Pletcher said. 

One Go All Go raced comfortably on the lead through fractions of :23.96, :49.21, 1:13.79 and 1:38.15 for the mile under mild pressure from Hi Happy to his outside and 22-1 long shot Markitoff trailing in behind on the rail. Saez gave Hi Happy his cue as they approached the stretch for the second time, collaring the leader at the head of the lane and pulling away.

“[One Go All Go] was the speed of the race," said Saez. "Everything went perfect. We sat second. At the half-mile pole I asked my horse and he kept battling. When we made the straight, he just took off.”

It was the third win of the day for both Pletcher and Saez, who also rode stakes winners in the Sanibel Island on Therapist and the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) on Coach Rocks. It was also Pletcher’s third win in the Pan American, following Navesink River (2005) and Deeliteful Irving (2002).