Always Dreaming tops Gulfstream Park Mile

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Todd Pletcher will not only be trying to win his fifth Florida Derby on Saturday, he will also be seeking his fifth victory in the Gulfstream Park Mile. This year, he will be attempting to win the Gulfstream Park Mile with last year’s Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby winner, Always Dreaming.

Always Dreaming, away from the races since a ninth-place finish in last August’s Travers at Saratoga, will face five opponents in the Grade 2, $300,000 Gulfstream Park Mile, one of six undercard stakes on Saturday’s 14-race Florida Derby program.

Always Dreaming, who won an allowance race and the Florida Derby over this track last year, will meet a familiar rival in Irish War Cry, who won last year’s Grade 2 Holy Bull before running seventh in the Fountain of Youth. Always Dreaming and Irish War Cry were both 9-2 in the Kentucky Derby, with Always Dreaming a slight favorite. Irish War Cry finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby.

Irish War Cry has already made a start this year, finishing second behind Economic Model in the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope here on Feb. 24.

“I was a bit between a rock and a hard place running him last time, wondering was he a work short of where he needed to be, or does it make sense to give him another month,” said Graham Motion, trainer of Irish War Cry. “It was tough taking on horses like that off a layoff on the dirt. I certainly feel he’s done well since.”

The others entered in the Gulfstream Park Mile are Conquest Big E, Mr. Jordan, Page McKenney, and Tommy Macho.