Audible towers above Harlan's Holiday field

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Audible returns to the scene of his finest hour, a resounding three-length victory in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, Saturday at Gulfstream Park where he’ll go postward the overwhelming favorite against just five rivals in the $100,000 Harlan’s Holiday, one of five graded stakes on an 11-race program that begins at noon Eastern.

The Grade 3, 1 1/16-mile Harlan’s Holiday, Audible’s final prep for the $9 million Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 26, shares top billing on Saturday’s program with the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale, which lured a full field of 14 turf specialists that includes five Grade 1 winners.

The $1 million Florida Derby on March 31 was the fourth win in a row for Audible, a son of Into Mischief, who had cruised to a 5 1/2-length triumph here in the Grade 2 Holy Bull in his 3-year-old debut. Audible suffered his only setback in his last six starts, dating back to November of 2017, when he finished third in the Kentucky Derby, beaten just 2 1/2 lengths by Triple Crown winner Justify.

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Audible, who is owned by the same partnership group – WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, Starlight Racing, and Head of Plains Partners – that campaigned Justify, was given an extended vacation following the Derby. He returned to Churchill Downs to launch his comeback on Nov. 3, registering a two-length victory in the seven-furlong Cherokee Run.

“I thought his Cherokee Run was everything we were hoping for, and he’s come back and trained better than ever since,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “We’re excited about him running on Saturday, and while you never take anything for granted, we’re looking for a good effort and something that propels him forward to his best effort in the Pegasus.”

Pletcher said he believes Audible is a much better horse now than he was at the time of his victory in the Florida Derby.

“He’s just training much more consistently, much better actually, than when he was down here before the Florida Derby,” said Pletcher. “He’s in career form at the moment.”

Audible’s chief competition in the Harlan’s Holiday could come from his own barn, with Village King entering the race off a nose triumph in the Red Smith Handicap, a race taken off the turf and decided at 1 1/8 miles over the main track last month at Aqueduct. A Group 1 winner on grass in his native Argentina at 3, Village King is perfect in two career starts on dirt.

“We had him this summer, he made his first start for us at Churchill, and like a lot of the South American horses he seems to be improving steadily the more time he’s had to acclimate here,” said Pletcher. “We’re not a thousand percent sure of which surface he’s at his absolute best on. He might be one of those that could be equally good on both. And distance is no issue for him.”

Completing the field are Sightforsoreeyes, last after prompting the early pace in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap; stakes winner Sir Anthony; and entry-level allowance winners Apostle and Minute Madness.