Calumet's Kentucky Pharoah improves to 2-for-2 on turf in Dania Beach
Calumet Farm’s Kentucky Pharoah, a 3-year-old chestnut son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, led throughout under jockey Julien Leparoux to win the $75,000 Dania Beach Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
Returning off a similar gate-to-wire victory just two weeks ago to break his maiden in his third start, Kentucky Pharoah covered a firm mile turf course in 1:34.07. Fighting Force, the 3-5 favorite, was second and Cave Hill third.
“Fantastic ride,” said trainer Jack Sisterson of Leparoux’s ride. “We really put it in Kentucky Pharoah’s hands whether he could come back in two weeks. He’s energetic. He was either going to breeze [Sunday] at Palm Meadows, and he probably would have breezed too quick, so why not run him instead.”
Leparoux was challenged going into the first turn by Fighting Force from the inside but he cleared going around the first turn and set fractions of :23.60, :46.80 and 1:10.47 before driving to the finish line.
“The favorite was inside of us and he wanted to go too, so I just wanted to make sure I was in front of him on the first turn,” Leparoux said. “After that, it was just a question of getting him to relax, and he did. Coming back in two weeks is never easy, but we like this horse a lot. He proved us right today.”
Competitive Speed gives trainer first U.S. win in Glitter Woman
John Minchello’s Competitive Speed scored a 9-1 upset in Saturday’s $75,000 Glitter Woman at Gulfstream Park, providing trainer Javier Gonzalez his first stakes success in the U. S.
“It’s my first stakes here. We started the year on the right step. It seems to me that we will have some good things happen this year,” said Gonzalez, who has saddled multiple graded-stakes winners in Puerto Rico.
Hit the Woah, the 3-5 favorite ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., broke poorly from the starting gate and was never a factor while finishing fourth.
Competitive Speed ($20) collected her third straight victory with an off-the-pace performance in the 6 ½-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies. Shop Girl broke alertly, unlike her stablemate in the Christophe Clement barn, to show the way along the backstretch and around the far turn while setting fractions of 22.49 and 45.49 seconds for the first half mile.
Competitive Speed launched a three-wide drive on the far turn under Leonel Reyes and set her sights on the pacesetter on the turn into the stretch. The daughter of Competitive Edge overtook Shop Girl approaching the 1/8-pole to capture her stakes debut by three lengths, completing the 6 ½ furlongs in 1:17.08.
Shop Girl, ridden by Luis Saez, finished second, 6 ½ lengths ahead of Gone to Cabo.
Con Lima goes gate to wire to stay unbeaten on turf in Ginger Brew
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph Graffeo, Eric Nikolaus Del Toro and Troy Johnson’s Con Lima continued to show her affinity for the turf with a front-running triumph in Saturday’s $75,000 Ginger Brew at Gulfstream Park.
The one-mile Ginger Brew for 3-year-old fillies was the fourth of five stakes worth $400,000 in purses on an 11-race program highlighted by Mutasaabeq’s victory in the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man for 3-year-olds, the start of Gulfstream’s road to the March 28 Florida Derby (G1).
It was the first career stakes victory for Con Lima ($6.20), a daughter of Commissioner who finished second in back-to-back stakes taken off the turf last fall – the P.G. Johnson at Saratoga and Our Dear Peggy at Gulfstream. The winning time was 1:35.23 over a firm turf course.
“I think she’s a quality filly that handles both surfaces, but definitely seems to have found her home especially on the Gulfstream turf course here,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. “She’s got good natural speed and it played to her strengths today.”
A similar gate-to-wire winner in her grass debut going one mile on the Gulfstream turf Dec. 12, Con Lima was once again eager for the lead in the Ginger Brew under jockey Paco Lopez, setting fractions of 23.95 seconds for the first quarter-mile and 47.55 for the half, pressed to her outside by Karakatsie with Inthewinnerscircle rating inside.
Karakatsie moved within a half-length on the turn but Con Lima remained in control and began to separate from the field once straightened for home, running six furlongs in 1:11.45 and drawing clear by 3 ¼ lengths. Honey Pants, the 3-2 favorite, edged Designer Ready for second while I Get It, who got squeezed far back early, rallied late to get up for fourth, snapping her three-race win streak. Inthewinnerscircle, Karakatsie, Viking Queen and Sweet Pearl completed the order of finish.
“Todd told me to judge the race, if she was keen to go or if we needed to sit behind, to go with her,” Lopez said. “She broke well and was a little strong. I had to hold her a little bit, but no one pressured us. I couldn't believe it, so I let her go and my filly finished very well.”
Con Lima now has two wins and two seconds in four starts since joining Pletcher’s string last summer. Pletcher had three wins on the day, including Mutasaabeq in the Mucho Macho Man and 3-year-old maiden Winfromwithin in Race 8.
“We handle her carefully. She’s got a lot of energy and we try to keep it channeled in the right direction,” Pletcher said of Con Lima. “She was actually very good in the paddock today. We stayed inside and stayed with the pony. She warmed up really nice, was good in the gate and broke alertly, and kind of towed Paco around there. He had a tougher time getting her back to the winner’s circle than he did around the track.”