Gentle Soul comes running in the stretch to win the Col. E.R. Bradley Stakes
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
Gentle Soul returned to his off-the-pace running style and returned to the winner’s circle Saturday at Fair Grounds, rallying from sixth under Reylu Gutierrez to wear down Grade 1 winner Two Emmys and take the $100,000 Colonel E.R. Bradley Stakes by a half-length.
Two Emmys, in his first start since June, finished second in the 1 1/16-mile turf race for older horses, 1 3/4 lengths clear of 6-5 favorite Price Talk.
The win was the fifth from 10 starts for Gentle Soul, his third from five tries on turf. His two allowance wins at Fair Grounds in 2022 were accomplished from off the pace.
In last start, the Buddy Diliberto Memorial on Dec. 26, the race came up a paceless affair and Gutierrez put Gentle Soul on the lead. The horse finished fourth, 8 1/2 lengths behind winner Spooky Channel.
Though there wasn’t much pace on Saturday, Gutierrez had Gentle Soul nine lengths behind the pace-setting Freedom Factor. Two Emmys, who was stalking from second, got first run on the pace-setter while Price Talk was trying to rally between horses toward the inside.
But it was Gentle Soul, was widest of all and perhaps one path away from the outside rail, who came with the strongest rally to get the victory.
Gentle Soul, a gelding by Tapizar and a half-brother to the dirt stakes winner by By My Standards, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:48.82 and returned $21.80 to win.
Trainer Bret Calhoun said that in the Diliberto Gentle Soul “just inherited the lead in a paceless race.”
“At that point,” Calhoun said, “nobody knew exactly how the turf course was playing so he let him be there and that just wasn’t him from any standpoint.”
Calhoun said that regardless of pace Saturday, Gutierrez was instructed to “get him back off it, covered up.”
“That’s how he wants to run,” Calhoun said.
Calhoun had Gentle Soul cross-entered in Saturday’s Louisiana Stakes on dirt in case the Bradley came off the turf and the Louisiana scratched down to a short field. Calhoun said his backup plan was actually next Saturday’s John Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston.
Now, Gentle Soul will be pointed to the Grade 2, $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic at Fair Grounds on March 25.
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