Gladiator King bounces back to upset Hutcheson Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Three weeks after finishing last in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Gladiator King bounced back to register a convincing four-length victory over the heavily favored Federal Case in Saturday’s tradition-rich, $100,000 Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Gladiator King was reunited in the Grade 3 Hutcheson with jockey Leonel Reyes, who rode the son of Curlin to victory in a five-furlong allowance race over the Gulfstream Park turf course in late November. As expected, Gladiator King sprinted right to the lead, shook off Topper T entering the stretch, opened a commanding advantage settling into the stretch and was never seriously threatened thereafter.

Federal Case, idle since a troubled seventh-place finish in the Grade 2 Holy Bull on Feb. 2 and racing with blinkers for the first time, broke a step slow and trailed during the early stages of the six-furlong Hutcheson. Jockey Javier Castellano swung Federal Case wide into the stretch, but the favorite could muster only a mild rally to best Topper T by three parts of a length to be second-best while never menacing the winner.

In the Loop had only brief speed and finished last in a field reduced to just four starters with the scratch of Lutsky earlier in the day.

Jaime Mejia trains Gladiator King for the Thoroughbred Champions Training Center. Mejia has won just three races from 97 starters during the Championship meet.

Gladiator King completed the distance in 1:10.88 over a fast track and paid $27.00.

“His [form] was going down, but now he is back,” said Mejia, who said the son of Curlin is likely to race next in a sprint at Churchill Downs early next month.

Any Limit Stakes

The finish was a lot closer in the afternoon’s co-featured Any Limit Stakes. So close, in fact, the placing judges could not separate Miss Marcela and Brunette Princess at the wire, the pair dead-heating for the win in the six-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Miss Marcela and Brunette Princess benefitted from a hotly contested pace between the 4-5 Smoken Deb and Questionoftheday. Miss Marcela got first run at the tiring leaders, took control in deep stretch with Brunette Princess finishing best of all to be on even terms at the wire. Smoken Deb finished a tiring third.

Miss Marcela and Brunette Princess were both sired by Bodemeister.

Miss Marcela, who went postward at odds of 19-1, was ridden by Emisael Jaramillo for trainer Antonio Sano and returned $16.20.

Brunette Princess is trained by Gustavo Delgado and had Chris Landeros aboard. She was the second choice in the wagering at 2-1 and paid $3.80 to win.

“I’m so proud of my filly,” Sano said. “I told Jaramillo, the race was between him and [Brunette Princess]. At the finish it was a dead heat between those horses. It was a great race.”