Gulfstream Park: Itsmyluckyday pulls away in Gulfstream Park Derby

Barbara D. Livingston

Itsmyluckyday, with Paco Lopez riding, wins the Gulfstream Park Derby by 6 3/4 lengths.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Itsmyluckyday made the first Derby of the new year a memorable one Tuesday when celebrating his third birthday with the easiest kind of victory in Tuesday’s $100,000 Gulfstream Park Derby.

Itsmyluckyday, a son of Lawyer Ron, stalked a fast pace  before drawing away under confident handling by jockey Paco Lopez to win the one-mile Gulfstream Park Derby by 6 3/4  lengths over Sr. Quisqueyano. Pacesetter Undrafted staggered home a tiring and well-beaten third.

The Gulfstream Park Derby scratched down to six starters from an original field of eight 3-year-olds when the undefeated Purple Egg and Uptown Anthem were scratched earlier in the day.

The Gulfstream Park Derby was the fourth victory and third stakes win for Itsmyluckyday who closed out his juvenile campaign finishing a wide-running fourth on the turf in the Dania Beach just two weeks earlier.  Itsmyluckyday is owned in partnership by Laurie Plesa and the Trilogy Stable and trained by Eddie Plesa Jr.  He completed the mile over a fast track in 1:34.39 and returned $8.20.

“Paco thinks this horse is better on the turf, I have a problem with that, I know how good this horse has been training on the dirt,” Plesa said. “When I looked up at the fractions, I was somewhat concerned, but he just kept on going. I was very pleased with his effort.”

Plesa made no commitments for Itsmyluckyday’s next start other than to say it will be on the dirt.

“We’ll re-evaluate and see what our options are,” Plesa said. “You’ve got the next race coming up here [Holy Bull] and the one at Tampa [Sam F. Davis]. He’s had a full schedule. Let’s see how he comes out of this race, and we’ll go from there.”

Ginger Brew: Tuttipaesi closes in stretch

Tuttipaesi finished full of run down the center of the course to register a two-length victory over Wave Theory when making her U.S. debut here Tuesday in the $75,000 Ginger Brew. Discreet Marq set the pace to midstretch and finished another three parts of a length further back in third.

Tuttipaesi, the first horse owned by the Valor Ladies LLC, paid $18 after completing a mile over a firm course in 1:42.20 under jockey Alan Garcia.  She is trained by Graham Motion.