Dennis' Moment open gallops a strong mile

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Eight days after his head-scratching 10th-place finish in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, Dennis’ Moment gave every indication he is doing as well as ever by open galloping a mile in 1:55.28, with his final three furlongs in 39.35 seconds, under exercise rider Tammy Fox on a blustery Sunday morning at Gulfstream Park.

Trainer Dale Romans was at a loss to explain what had happened in the wake of Dennis’ Moment’s 25-length defeat in the Fountain of Youth. But he was all smiles after watching another in a string of strong training sessions for a horse considered among the leading Kentucky Derby contenders when the winter began.

“Today we just let him pick it up a little bit and he got a little strong with her, so she let him open gallop,” said Romans. “He looked great to me. We discovered he had a little issue in the Fountain of Youth, we figured it out and he’s come out of the race absolutely perfect so we’re going to move forward. He should breeze on Wednesday. Everything is day by day at the moment, but if all goes well the Blue Grass will be next.”

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Fox, who has been Dennis’ Moment’s regular exercise rider all along, said: “We didn’t go out there with the intent of doing that. But every pole he kept getting stronger and stronger, especially when the wind began hitting him in the face, so I just let him keep going. He couldn’t be moving any better than he’s moving right now.”

Romans also confirmed that Mr Freeze is still a go to ship to Dubai on March 17 for the Godolphin Mile on March 28. Mr Freeze is coming off his best performance yet, a three-length victory in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile for which he received a career high 107 Beyer Speed Figure. The effort came on the heels of his second-place finish a month earlier in the Pegasus World Cup.

“He’ll have one work here before he ships,” said Romans. “We have not received any invitation to the [Dubai World Cup], but even if we did, I think the Mile is the best race for him.”

Romans was also elated over the impressive debut turned in by his promising 3-year-old filly Four Grands, who drew off to a 6 1/4-length victory in Sunday’s second race, a six-furlong maiden special weight dash. Four Grands easily handled five rivals, including the $1,025,000 Ghostzapper filly Maggie Fitz while being geared down at the end by jockey Luis Saez.

“I expected her to win, but I didn’t expect her to win that big,” said Romans. “She’s got license to be a good one. She’s got pedigree. She’s always done everything right. That was impressive.”

Romans said that Four Grands, a daughter of the speedy stakes winner Taylor S, could possibly make her next start in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 28.