Fearless ends eight-month layoff with Gulfstream Park Mile triumph

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Fearless returned from an eight-month layoff with the biggest race of his career Saturday in winning the 73rd running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Gulfstream Park Mile.

Trained by Todd Pletcher for the China Horse Club and the race sponsor, WinStar Farm, Fearless and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. surged past the 9-10 favorite, Performer, midway through the turn before holding off late-running Avant Garde by three-quarters of a length. He paid $7.60 as second choice after finishing the one-turn mile in 1:35.61 over a fast track.

Fearless, a 5-year-old Ghostzapper gelding, won his first two career starts at Gulfstream Park, then had won once in four subsequent starts elsewhere, finishing well-beaten in two stakes attempts during that time. He returned with a flourish Saturday when rallying for his first stakes score.

“Todd does what Todd does,” WinStar president Elliott Walden said afterward. “The horse really came out running. We were pretty confident. I’m just happy for the horse, and it was a great job by our team back at the farm getting him ready to run like this.”

Wind of Change set the pace, with Performer in a good striking position down the backside, but that all changed within moments when Fearless made his move, ultimately clearing off at the furlong grounds and persevering under a steady Ortiz whip to the wire. Performer was third, another two lengths behind Avant Garde, with the remaining order being Eye of a Jedi, Phat Man, and Wind of Change. Tax and Summer Kid were early scratches.

The $2 exacta (5-6) paid $37.80, the $1 trifecta (5-6-4) returned $34.90, and the 10-cent superfecta (5-6-4-3) was worth $8.06.

Annex edges Scarlett Sky in Palm Beach Stakes

Fresh off an eye-catching debut, the colt named Annex justified being bet down to clear-cut favoritism by rallying for a head triumph Saturday in the 34th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Palm Beach Stakes over the Gulfstream Park turf.

With Junior Alvarado riding, Annex rallied down the center of the course to edge Scarlett Sky. It was 1 3/4 lengths back to Chess’s Dream in third in a field of eight 3-year-olds.

Annex won a Jan. 16 maiden race over the Gulfstream turf at first asking, compeling his Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott, to go ahead and try graded company. In winning Saturday from well off a torrid pace set by Arzak, the Constitution colt returned $4.60 after finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.62 over firm going. A chestnut with a big blaze, Annex is owned in partnership by LNJ Foxwoods and Eclipse Thoroughbreds.

“He finished really well in his maiden race,” Mott said. “Today, when he got to the last horse, he might’ve been waiting on him a little bit, so he’s still a little green and there’s a ways to go with him.”

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Arzak opened up a huge lead on the backside, going in fractions of 22.38, 44.80, and 1:09.19 before faltering badly to finish last. The top three finishers all came from well off that rapid pace.

The $2 exacta (2-3) paid $14.20, the $1 trifecta (2-3-8) returned $31.40, and the 10-cent superfecta (2-3-8-6) was worth $8.92.

The final race in this division at the Gulfstream championship meet is the one-mile Cutler Bay on March 27.

Venzuelan Hug wins Canadian Turf

Venezuelan Hug stepped out of statebred company and back into the winner’s circle for a third straight time, rallying between horses under a well-judged ride by Junior Alvarado to a neck victory over Olympic Runner in Saturday’s $125,000 Canadian Turf at Gulfstream Park.

Venezuelan Hug had won two Florida-bred stakes, the Sunshine Millions Turf Preview at Gulfstream Park West and the Sunshine Millions Turf since shipping locally from New York during the fall. So the jump up against Grade 3 opposition in the Canadian Turf was a big one for Venezuelan Hug, whose only two losses in his previous seven starts had come against graded stakes company.

Venezuelan Hug rated early, as usual, off the early pace while saving ground under Alvarado, who was aboard the son of Constitution for the first time in the Canadian Turf. Venezuelan Hug was still racing near the rear of the nine-horse field leaving the turn, angled out a bit to commence his bid in early stretch, angled back down near the rail at midstretch before closing with a rush from between horses to prove narrowly best.

Olympic Runner raced in midpack for over six furlongs, swung outside for the final drive, finished strong down the center of the track sticking his head in front nearing the wire, but could not contain the winner at the end. Gear Jockey also surged late between horses to finish third, another neck behind Olympic Runner. Eon, the tepid 5-2 favorite, raced a bit wide and never factored while finishing fifth in a field closely bunched at the end.

Venezuelan Hug, claimed for $40,000 out of a third-place finish here 11 months earlier, is trained by Danny Gargan for the partnership of Spedale Family Racing and Randy Hill. Final time for 1 1/16 miles over a firm course was 1:04.42. He returned $11.00.

“I got a little concerned when he got stuck down in there, he’s such a big horse, I was a little worried he wouldn’t be able to go through,” Gargan said. "I told Junior he likes to make his run on the outside, but he’s won a couple on the inside, too, so he’s maturing. He really digs in and gives you a big effort every time.”

Alvarado, who earlier won the Palm Beach Stakes with the undefeated Annex, said sometimes a rider needs a little luck when it comes to turf racing.

“That’s what happens on the turf. Sometimes you get lucky and you get through and look like a hero,” Alvarado said. “Sometimes you don’t and you look like a bad guy. I was just glad I had the horse today.”