Divisidero ends seven-month layoff in Fort Lauderdale Stakes
At some point this year, Divisidero may prove himself a superior turf horse to Heart to Heart. But the circumstances of the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale Stakes on Saturday suggest that Heart to Heart again will win the Grade 2 fixture at Gulfstream Park in south Florida.
Divisidero, a Grade 1 winner with a terrific closing kick, will return from a seven-month layoff as part of an outstanding field of 12 older horses in the 64th running of the Fort Lauderdale. Heart to Heart, favorably drawn in post 1, will be looking to repeat in a 1 1/16-mile turf race he won last January in front-running fashion under regular rider Julien Leparoux.
Divisidero will have Edgar Prado aboard when breaking from post 7 in a lineup that also includes such talents as Night Prowler, Lukes Alley, and Jay Gatsby.
“Hopefully, this is going to be a big year for him,” said Buff Bradley, who trains the 5-year-old Divisidero for Gunpowder Farms LLC. “We hope to keep him healthy and sound all year and plan the right races for him.”
Nearly two years ago, Divisidero won his career debut over the Gulfstream turf for Bradley, who is just 14 for 463 (3 percent) in his career with first-time starters. Last winter at Gulfstream, also while returning from a substantive layoff, Divisidero finished third in the Canadian Turf and second in the Appleton before winning the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic before a huge Kentucky Derby Day crowd at Churchill Downs.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Divisidero. Trainer Buff Bradley is 21-0-3-1 over the past five years on turf following a layoff of 180 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
:: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs
:: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
Divisidero raced just once more, finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Manhattan in June, before being turned out with what Bradley described as minor bone bruising. He returned to training at Churchill in November.
“He moved forward pretty quickly in getting ready,” Bradley said. “He had a pretty good bottom to him when I got him. Each week he’s progressed well. I’m really happy the way he’s come along. He’s coming into the race fresh, and we feel he’s going to run a big race. He’s more mature both mentally and physically.”
Still, the most pressing question for bettors is whether Divisidero is ready to win right away. Heart to Heart – on the verge of becoming a millionaire with career earnings of $998,290 – not only has more tactical speed and recency than Divisidero, but he’s now 3 for 3 over the Gulfstream turf after winning the ungraded El Prado four weeks ago as an odds-on favorite.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 12 Fire Away. Trainer Shug McGaughey is 45-10-6-4 with a $2.54 ROI over the past five years in turf route graded stakes with horses that have had ascending Beyer Speed Figures in their past three starts. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
One key to how the Fort Lauderdale will unfold rests with Lane Luzzi, who has the mount on Diamond Bachelor. Although not nearly as accomplished as Heart to Heart, Diamond Bachelor has shown blazing speed in recent starts and could have an effect on the outcome if he pushes Heart to Heart through a too-fast pace.
The Fort Lauderdale is carded as the 10th of 12 Saturday races. First post is noon Eastern, with the Fort Lauderdale going at 4:34.
A couple of hours earlier, the Grade 3, $150,000 Marshua’s River (race 6, post 2:30) will be run for the 19th time as the female counterpart to the Fort Lauderdale. Todd Pletcher holds an extremely strong hand with the uncoupled duo of Sandiva and Isabella Sings.
Sandiva (post 3, Javier Castellano) is coming off a useful tightener, having finished second in the Dec. 17 South Beach at Gulfstream in her first start in nearly five months for Al Shaqab Racing. The Irish-bred mare won the 2016 Marshua’s River as an even-money favorite.
Isabella Sings (post 7, Edgard Zayas) won the Grade 3 My Charmer at Gulfstream West in her most recent start for owner-breeder Siena Farm and figures once again to be the one to catch.
In all, 10 are entered in the Marshua’s River, but only as many as eight will go if the race stays on the turf, as expected.