Gidu auditioning for Ascot in Paradise Creek

ELMONT, N.Y. – Two weeks before they square off in the Belmont Stakes, trainers Todd Pletcher and Bob Baffert will go head to head in another race for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park.

Whereas Baffert will send out favored Justify in the Belmont, Pletcher will likely have the horse to beat in Saturday’s $100,000 Paradise Creek in Gidu. The Paradise Creek, scheduled for seven furlongs in the Widener turf course, only drew five horses for the turf plus one for the main track only.

Gidu, a son of Frankel owned by Ahmed Zayat, is auditioning for a potential start in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup going six furlongs on June 22 at Royal Ascot.

The desire to send him to Royal Ascot is the primary reason Gidu has not started since winning the Columbia Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on March 10.

“We looked at it and decided the Paradise Creek was the best way to potentially set him up for that,” Pletcher said.

Gidu has two wins and two seconds from four starts. Prior to his victory at Tampa, he was beaten a head by Speed Franco in the Grade 3 Dania Beach at Gulfstream. Both of those races were run around two turns. The Paradise Creek is run around one turn.

“He’s got good tactical speed,” Pletcher said. “I think the seven furlongs of the Paradise Creek should suit him very well.”

Gidu will likely be sitting off of Masked, the Baffert trainee who won twice going 6 1/2 furlongs down the hill at Santa Anita before finishing third in the William Walker Stakes going five furlongs at Churchill Downs on April 28.

There are other speed types in here as well, including Black Stetson, who won the Bridgetown at Aqueduct in April, and Curlin’s Honor, who won the Woodstock Stakes going six furlongs over Woodbine’s synthetic surface.

Ambassador Jim, perhaps the one confirmed closer in the field, completes the field on turf. Final Frontier, a maiden winner at Tampa on April 20, is entered to run only on the main track.

KEY CONTENDERS

Gidu, by Frankel
Last 3 Beyers: 93-89-84

◗ Turns back to a sprint for the first time since he won a five-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream in December.

◗ Was a stalk-and-pounce winner of the Columbia Stakes. Runner-up Captivating Moon came back to run second in two graded stakes races, and the third-place finisher, Smart Remark, won an allowance.

Masked, by Data Link
Last 3 Beyers: 78-85-83

◗ Appeared to get discouraged when he was outrun for the early lead in the William Walker at Churchill and finished a non-threatening third.

◗ Was a front-running winner in a pair of down-the-hill turf sprints at Santa Anita.

Ambassador Jim, by Treasure Beach
Last 3 Beyers: 77-78-79

◗ After not changing leads, he was a late-running fourth, beaten three-quarters of a length, when rallying widest of all in the Bridgetown Stakes.

◗ He has a 1-2-1 record from four starts over Belmont’s turf course.