Constitution possible for Dubai World Cup

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Constitution earned a 113 Beyer Speed Figure in his gate-to-wire triumph on Saturday in the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park and could make his next start in the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 28, according to trainer Todd Pletcher.

“We’ve kicked around the idea of Dubai, but we haven’t committed to it yet,” Pletcher said Sunday. “It’s certainly one of the options.”

Constitution, ridden by Javier Castellano, capped another memorable afternoon for Pletcher, who last month won the Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer for the seventh time. Within a span of less than two hours, Pletcher also won the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap with Mshawish and the Grade 3 Suwannee River, both with Castellano aboard. Meanwhile, at Aqueduct, another Kentucky Derby prospect emerged for Pletcher when Far From Over upset the Withers Stakes.

Constitution, the 5-2 second choice, held off the 13-10 favorite Lea to win the 1 1/8-mile Donn by three-quarters of a length. A 4-year-old son of Tapit, Constitution was returning to the scene of his other Grade 1 victory, having won the Florida Derby last March in his third start before being sidelined by injury in the run-up to the Kentucky Derby.

If he goes to Dubai, Constitution could meet California Chrome, whose connections reiterated their interest Sunday in that race in the aftermath of his second-place finish to Shared Belief in the San Antonio at Santa Anita. Other World Cup possibles well known to American fans include Tonalist, Toast of New York, and Candy Boy.

◗ All-sources handle on the 13-race Donn card was more than $17.2 million, while Sunday handle on another 13-race card was $9.6 million, for a two-day total of $26.8 million. Last year, when the Donn was run on a Sunday, the two-day total was $30.5 million, even with two fewer races.