Gufo surges in Pan American to start 5-year-old campaign

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Gufo, who finished his 4-year-old year with a disappointing 10th place in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, made an eye-catching 5-year-old debut Saturday at Gulfstream Park, blowing past Abaan in the stretch for a two-length victory in the Grade 2, $200,000 Pan American Stakes.

Abaan, a two-time stakes winner at this meet, finished second by 2 3/4 lengths over Novo Sol. Temple finished fourth, followed, in order, by Bakers Bay, Mid Day Image and Tide of the Sea.

Gufo improved his record to 4 for 4 at Gulfstream Park, but more importantly gave evidence that he could be sitting on a solid 2022 campaign.

“When he’s right, he’s not a good horse, he’s a very good horse,” Christophe Clement, trainer of Gufo, said.

Gufo was a Grade 1 winner at 3 and 4 and placed in several other Grade 1 stakes last year. He entered last fall as one of top older turf horses in training, but finished third in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic and 10th in the BC Turf.

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Clement said the horse ran in spots in both of those races. Clement removed the blinkers for the Pan American and, after saving ground in sixth early on under Joel Rosario, Gufo exploded in the stretch to get the victory.

“He was very inconsistent in his races, probably looking back at it I should have done it earlier,” Clement said, referring to removing the blinkers. “There was a point of putting the blinkers on in the middle of last year where he got so lazy and so far back. But when he runs like he did today, there’s no reason to change after what we saw this afternoon.”

On Saturday, Gufo was a ground-saving sixth, but no more than 6 1/2 lengths off the pace, which was solid enough as Tide of the Sea went a quarter in 23.90 seconds and a half-mile in 48.61 while being chased by Mid Day Image. Abaan was a stalking presence in third under Luis Saez, made a three-wide move around the turn to make the lead, but was no match for Gufo who came streaking by in the lane.

“Second-best,” Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Abaan said. “I thought we were in a good spot. When he kicked, the other one was a little better.”

Gufo covered the 1 1/2 miles over firm ground in 2:27.28 and returned $4.60 as the favorite. Gufo was given a 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He’s going to improve from that, which is great because I want to go to the Man o’ War [on May 14 at Belmont] which is going to be a much tougher race,” Clement said.

Gufo was beaten a nose by Channel Cat in last year’s Man o’ War.

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