HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Abaan and Temple have traded decisions in their two meetings in marathon turf stakes at Gulfstream Park this winter. The rubber match occurs Saturday when the two geldings meet again in the Grade 2, $200,000 Pan American Stakes, scheduled for 1 1/2 miles over the turf. The eight-horse field also includes the return to the races of the Grade 1 winner Gufo for trainer Christophe Clement. Abaan won the Grade 3 William McKnight Stakes by two lengths over Temple in January, only to finish fourth, 5 1/2 lengths behind Temple, in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida on March 5. While Temple had a dream trip in the Mac Diarmida, the usually forward Abaan was shuffled back to seventh early and was stuck down inside before having to go wide down the backstretch and around the turn. :: DRF's Florida Derby Day headquarters – Previews, past performances, picks, and more “He drew inside and got pinched, then got shuffled back,” said Todd Pletcher, trainer of Abaan. “I thought despite all that he ran on okay. It just kind of took him out of his style. I don’t think he’s a have-to-have-the-lead type, but he at least has to be in the flow of the race.” Prior to his win in the McKnight, Abaan was a front-running winner of the two-mile H. Allen Jerkens over this course on Dec. 24. Abaan is drawn in post 5 with other speed types Mid Day Image and Tide of the Sea drawn in posts 2 and 4. Temple was claimed away from trainer Mike Maker for $80,000 last June. He was reclaimed by Maker for the same amount in November. Gufo is 3 for 3 over the Gulfstream Park turf course, with those victories coming at the 2019-20 meet. He won two stakes at this 1 1/2-mile distance last year, including the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga. Clement said he is removing the blinkers from Gufo’s equipment “because he’s been training well without the blinkers.” “I can always go back to them,” he said. Clement said he is using the Pan American as a stepping-stone to the Grade 1 Man o’ War at Belmont Park on May 14. Novo Sol is an interesting newcomer to this group. He has made one start in the U.S. since coming over from Brazil, winning an off-the-turf allowance race going 1 1/16 miles in January. “That wasn’t supposed to be his distance,” said trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. “He’s supposed to be a mile and a quarter, mile and a half horse. It’s a big step up in class, but he’s doing well.” Trainer Shug McGaughey looks for Bakers Bay to improve on his sixth-place finish in the William McKnight, just his second start since last May. Orchid Stakes Trainer Chad Brown had won three graded stakes for fillies and mares at the Gulfstream Park winter meet, but did not even nominate one for Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Orchid Stakes. That certainly didn’t hurt the feelings of the six trainers who entered horses in the 1 1/2-mile turf race, the first of 10 stakes to be run Saturday. Family Way ran a solid second to the Brown-trained Virginia Joy in the Grade 3 The Very One here on March 5, outfinishing Orchid rival Harajuku by a half-length. The Very One was Family Way’s first start in more than four months. “She ran really nice off the layoff,” said Brendan Walsh, trainer of Family Way. “She was second to a very nice filly of Chad’s that won well. I think we were best of the rest. If she can move up a little bit from her first run off the layoff, I can’t see why she wouldn’t have a very good chance.” Family Way won the Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon at 1 5/16 miles last September, so Walsh is confident she can handle the 1 1/2 miles. Clement has won the Orchid a record seven times. Saturday, he sends out Beautiful Lover, who was fourth in The Very One after having won the La Prevoyante. Clement said he would like to see some pace in the race for Beautiful Lover, who is making the final start of her career. “The faster they go, the better for her,” Clement said. Champagne Ivy was a front-running winner of an off-the-turf 1 1/2-mile allowance here on Feb. 10 for Joseph. Scarabea was beaten just a half-length when fourth to Beautiful Lover in the La Prevoyante. Sister Otoole was fifth in the La Prevoyante for trainer Graham Motion, who also sends out Harajuku in search of her first win since a Group 3 triumph in France in May 2021.