Teaks North, Flat Out Head Wide Open Fort Lauderdale
Resolute Group Stable’s 5-year-old gelding Teaks North established his
national credentials last year posting a 25-to-1 upset victory in the
Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1) going 1 1/8 miles for trainer Justin
Sallusto and went on to another major score in the 11-furlong United
Nations Invitational (G1) at Monmouth Park in early July.
Teaks North gets another campaign going in the Fort Lauderdale Stakes, a
race Sallusto hopes will set him up for a more lucrative spot two weeks
later in the $300,000 Florida Sunshine Millions over the course on Jan.
28. Jockey Juan Leyva gets the call on the son of Northern Afleet as he
makes his first start since a disappointing eighth-place finish in the
Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) going 12 furlongs at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.
The intriguing contender in the Fort Lauderdale will be Preston
Stable’s 6-year-old Flat Out, a leader in the handicap division last
season for trainer Charles ‘Scooter’ Dickey. Jockey Alex Solis rides the
son of Flatter in his first start since finishing third in the Clark
Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 25 after a fifth-place effort
over the track in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on Nov. 5.
“We’ve thought about trying him on turf for some time,” said Dickey
Wednesday morning. “We worked him on turf at Churchill last spring and
he handled it just fine. We were deciding whether to run him in the
Stephen Foster or the Firecracker and decided on the Stephen Foster
(sixth on June 18, beaten 2 ¾ lengths by winner).
“We worked him on the turf here and decided on this race for a
combination of reasons. We still want to try him on the turf and the
timing is right to get to the ($500,000) Donn Handicap (G1). If we
waited and ran him in the Sunshine Millions (Classic on Jan. 28) it
would probably be too quick back to make the Donn (Feb. 11).”
Completing the field for the Fort Lauderdale are Fantasy Lane Stable’s
Uptowncharlybrown, Tom Walters’ Santiva, Michael Bruder’s Guys Reward,
Bruno Schickedanz’ Yummy With Butter, Juddmonte Farm’s Mutual Trust,
Quantum Racing Team #1’s Mambo Meister, Robert Harvey’s Hollinger, Mrs.
S.K. Johnston, Jr.’s Hoofit and Lael Stable’s Kindergarden Kid.
Cool Blue Red Hot, also entered the Hal’s Hope, is entered ‘main track
only’ in the Fort Lauderdale along with Blackacre Farm’s Flatter This.