Canessar appears fit and ready for Pan American

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A long layoff, a difficult trip, and a boggy turf course all conspired against Canessar when he finished fifth in the Grade 3 William L. McKnight Stakes at Gulfstream Park in January.

At least two of those three hurdles should be removed Saturday when Canessar seeks to rebound in the Grade 2, $250,000 Pan American Stakes at Gulfstream. The Pan Am, run at 1 1/2 miles on what figures to be firm turf, goes as race 13 on the 14-race Florida Derby card, which begins at 11:30 a.m.

The McKnight was Canessar’s first start since he was beaten a neck when second in the Stars and Stripes Stakes at Arlington Park on July 7. In the 1 1/2-mile McKnight, Canessar was steadied behind horses in the back of the pack, then was four to five wide throughout before tiring in the final sixteenth over a rain-soaked turf course. He was beaten 4 3/4 lengths.

“He was a little short coming off the layoff; he needs a lot of training,” said Arnaud Delacour, trainer of Canessar. “It takes a good horse and a fit horse to travel that wide and still be able to get it done. I don’t think the trip worked out great. I hope he’s fitter this time and he can perform well.”

The break for Canessar between the Stars and Stripes and McKnight was due to a bout of pneumonia, Delacour said.

Though Canessar loses Javier Castellano, he picks up Feargal Lynch, who has a win, two seconds, and a third from four rides on Canessar.

In the McKnight, Canessar was beaten by Zulu Alpha, trained by Mike Maker. While Zulu Alpha is not running Saturday, Maker will send out Soglio and Bigger Picture in the Pan American.

Soglio saved all the ground before tipping four wide in the stretch and just missing to Zulu Alpha in the McKnight. Canessar finished a neck in front of Soglio when the two were second and third in the Stars and Stripes.

Bigger Picture is a multiple graded stakes winner and is a three-time winner of the John B. Connally Stakes at Sam Houston. He is winless in three starts at Gulfstream, including a seventh-place finish in this race last year.

Village King looks like the primary speed in the Pan Am. He set the pace in the Mac Diarmida and wound up fifth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths.

“We thought it was a bit of a paceless race on paper. We decided if he could get the lead the right way, we’d try it,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I thought he ran a courageous race and tried hard.”

Focus Group makes his first start since he finished third in the Grade 1 Canadian International last Oct. 13. Trainer Chad Brown said he may not be ready to go this far off the layoff, and is using this as a prep for the Grade 1 Man o’ War at Belmont on May 11.

Completing the field are Melmich, second in the Mac Diarmida, Nessy, Highland Sky, and Salute the Colonel.