Another Broad looks strong in duPont Distaff

BALTIMORE – Maryland-bred Another Broad was a private purchase by Sol Kumin and partners at the beginning of the year. Although the 4-year-old daughter of Include raced evenly when fourth in the Royal Delta Stakes at Gulfstream Park in February while making her first start for Todd Pletcher, she turned in a more representative effort in her most recent outing, closing from off the pace to win the $200,000 Top Flight Invitational at Aqueduct by 1 1/4 lengths.

On Friday at Pimlico, Another Broad will be well supported in the betting to take the Grade 3, $150,000 Allaire duPont Distaff, which like the Top Flight will be run at 1 1/8 miles. Another Broad will be ridden by Manny Franco, who two races earlier will be aboard favored Always Shopping for Pletcher in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan.

“Nothing really happened in the Royal Delta,” Pletcher said. “Her style just may not have suited Gulfstream that well. It was good to see her break through in her last race. Nine furlongs suits her.”

Another Broad made her first seven starts for her breeder, the Fitzhugh LLC of Robert Meyerhoff, and trainer Mike Trombetta. She put together three consecutive wins at Laurel Park and was second by a neck in the Maryland-restricted Geisha Stakes before being sold.

The seven-horse duPont Distaff is light on front-runners, which could play to the favor of Gio Game, who races for John Oxley and trainer Mark Casse. Gio Game has tactical early foot, and she should be prominent throughout under Julien Leparoux.

Gio Game concluded her 3-year-old campaign by finishing third to champion Monomoy Girl in the Grade 1 Acorn, fifth to Monomoy Girl in the Coaching Club American Oaks, and third in the Monmouth Oaks.

Following an eight-month layoff, she began her 4-year-old season with a one-length second-level optional-claiming victory at Keeneland.

“She’s just been on the edge of being a really good horse,” Casse said. “I did what I like to do with a lot of my 3-year-olds after her last race last year when she was a little disappointing. I go and give them some time to get older and grow up.

“She’s put on probably 100 pounds, 150 pounds. She couldn’t look any better.”

Casse was pleased with Gio Game’s comeback win because he thought she might need a race to regain her form. He is a bit concerned about the distance of the duPont, but a tepid pace could work in her favor.

“A mile and an eighth might be just a little bit of a stretch for her,” Casse said.

Timeless Curls, who is 5 for 11 for Laurel-based Dale Capuano, will be making her graded stakes debut. She has been beaten in her last two starts, but one of those races came on turf and the other in the mud. She will be flying under the radar Friday at a big price.