Commissioner takes first step toward Dubai World Cup

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The outcome might not have been quite what he’d hoped for, but trainer Todd Pletcher was very pleased nonetheless with the performance turned in by Commissioner here Saturday in his first appearance since his second-place finish in the 2014 Belmont Stakes.

Commissioner finished third, beaten a head and a neck by Ulanbator and Looking Cool, going 1 1/16 miles under second-level allowance conditions on Saturday. Commissioner contested the pace from the outset and held gamely once relinquishing the lead at the top of the stretch.

“I thought he ran very well first out in a while,” Pletcher said on Sunday. “He disputed solid fractions. He came out of the race well, and this effort should set him up nicely for the next one.”

Just what the next one will be remains up in the air. Pletcher said his main goal is to get Commissioner to the Dubai World Cup on March 28.

“We want to get him to Dubai, the problem now is figuring out how to get there,” said Pletcher. “The Donn is not out of the question. Other alternatives would be races at Fair Grounds or Oaklawn, those kinds of things.”

Pletcher could have as many as four starters for the Donn. His three other potential candidates for the Grade 1 event include Liam’s Map, Protonico, and 2014 Florida Derby winner Constitution.

“All three of them worked Sunday at Palm Beach Downs and worked well,” said Pletcher. “I’m not sure how many will run in the Donn right now, but we’re keeping an eye on the race with everyone at the moment.”

The 1 1/8-mile Donn will be decided here on Feb. 7.

Ulanbator steps up his game

Ulanbator, who turned in arguably the biggest performance of his career to upset the odds-on Commissioner on Saturday, could also be heading to the Donn, according to his trainer, Ian Wilkes. The two-time graded-stakes-placed Ulanbator posted a lifetime-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure on Saturday.

“We’ve always had high hopes for this horse,” said Wilkes. “He’s stepped it up from 3 to 4. He relaxes a lot better, is more professional now, and he showed a lot of character out there to win this race. I really liked that.”