Mucho Mas Macho to Skip Mac Diarmida

Signal Hill Farm’s 4-year-old gelding Mucho Mas Macho posted a stunning 41-to-1 upset victory in the $150,000 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (G2) going 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park last out on Jan. 12 for trainer Henry Collazo, who indicated after the race that he would make his next start in the $150,000 Mac Diarmida Stakes (G3) going 1 3/8 miles on Sat., Feb. 16.

“I think we’ll pass on the Mac Diarmida,” said Collazo Thursday afternoon. “He’s a little horse and I think more time will do him good. We’ll wait for the Pan American (G3) on March. 23,” referring to the longtime Gulfstream turf marathon run at 1 ½ miles.

“After he ran so well in the (W.L.) McKnight (G2) at Calder going a mile-and-a-half it gave us a lot more options knowing that he’ll go that distance and so many others don’t. I plan to bring him over here (Gulfstream) to work on turf on Sunday (Feb. 16) and maybe one more time after that before the Pan Am.”

A roan/gray son of Macho Uno, Mucho Mas Macho rallied from next-to-last to win the Ft. Lauderdale for his fourth victory in nine career starts on turf, He was a $19,000 OBS March 2-year-old sales purchase with earnings of $227,000.