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- Breeding
02/02/2013 5:03PM
Gulfstream Park: Verrazano earns shot at Kentucky Derby prep with dominant victory
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Verrazano wowed not only the crowd but his trainer, Todd Pletcher, as well when cruising to as easy-as-can-be 16 1/4-length victory over Eton Blue in Saturday’s fifth race at Gulfstream Park, carded at a mile under first-level optional $75,000 claiming conditions. Verrazano was never asked to run by jockey John Velazquez in what proved to be little more than a paid workout. It was the second one-sided win in as many starts for Verrazano.
[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]
“That was about as impressive as you’ll see one run,” said Pletcher. “We were anticipating a good race, hoping for a good race, were encouraged going into the race and even more so coming out.”
Pletcher said Verrazano, a half-brother to El Padrino, will try graded stakes company for the first time in his next start but is not exactly sure where just yet.
“He’s obviously earned the right to step up into a big one, but we kind of have to figure out the timing of it,” said Pletcher. “We’re a little close to the Fountain of Youth, so it probably won’t be there. The timing of it might just force us to make a move with him somewhere. We’ll just have to see where that will be.”
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Looked like a two horse race on a racetrack with few horses. I like to see this horse go to the Blue Grass in Keenland. Very nice looking animal that is for sure.
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Bring him north for the Gotham, then if he does well run in the Wood. I think these owners make too much of the process. It was so much easier in the old days.
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i think siegel just stated he ran a 105 beyer and may go in swale (no derby points).
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Every year, we see horses win big going a mile in allowance races with small fields, especially at Gulfstream Park, who come up short against better horses or when they stretch out How good could the opposition have been? He was 1-5 for a reason. I think it's prudent to withhold judgement on Verrazano until he steps up in class and distance.
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DRF... A tip for future derby candidate articles: it would be nice of u guys to tell us who the sire of the horse is. Given this is a derby candidate many of us wonder pedigree wise if he's bred to run 1 1/4. It sucks having to leave the page to look up something as basic as the winner's sire IMO.
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1 1/16 mile races are even worse the finish line is just past the 1/16 pole making the stretch run barely a furlong. Kills closers.
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Every time I watch replays from gulfstream I wonder why they designed the layout of the track the way they did.. Passing the 1/4 pole midway on the turn and the 3/16 pole is on the turn also! Might be the shortest stretch besides the bullrings. Not that it affected the outcome of this race.. But still it bothers me
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No doubt he's a serious talent. The potential is through the roof. But he still has much to prove.
Although they went a solid clip up front, it was a perfect setup for Verrazano. He will ultimately meet bigger and better fields in which he will need to work to get such position, have horses alongside him when in a spot, have quality speed to run down, have quality stalkers to skirmish with, and after all that might have to deal with some late runners. Flashback will face the same new challenges in his future races.
Breeding is a bit iffy for 10 furlongs. More than Ready was more a miler type, but he was a creditable 4th in the Derby. The dam is out of Giant's Causeway, but the 2nd dam is out of Mr. Prospector, not necessarily meaing speed but not exactly screaming classics. On the track, the 2nd dam was more a miler/9 furlong horse.
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Ship to Santa Anita. Only two horses out there. FLASHBACK and Goldencents. Probably looking at Fairgrounds as they Dido with El Padrino.
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Gotham makes the most sense. They could also do the Rebel.
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