Gulfstream Park: Majestic Hussar eyes shorter races

Trainer Eddie Kenneally said he is leaning toward turning Majestic Hussar back to one-turn races after the speedy colt set lightning-fast fractions before tiring to finish fourth while making his two-turn debut in the Fountain of Youth. Majestic Hussar ran a 45.45-second opening half-mile and a 1:08.85 three-quarters before fading to finish 9 1/4 lengths behind Orb.

“Maybe he went a little too quick on the front end, but that’s how he likes to run,” Kenneally said. “He’s a naturally fast horse. He ran well, considering, hanging on game for fourth, but he’s probably going to be better in the one-turn races than two-turn races.”

Kenneally did not rule out bringing Majestic Hussar back in the Florida Derby.

“We have nothing picked out at the moment for his next start,” Kenneally said. “I’ll talk to the owner, discuss all the options, and make a plan a little bit later on after we see how he came out of this race.”

Majestic Hussar does have license to stay at least a mile as well as handle the grass, being a half-brother to Joes Blazing Aaron, who was beaten just a length by the even-money Data Link after forcing all the pace in Saturday’s Grade 3 Canadian Turf.

Kenneally also has mapped out plans for two of his other 3-year-old prospects, Hutcheson winner Honorable Dillon and recent maiden winner Gombey Dancer. Honorable Dillon will make his next start in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 9, while Gombey Dancer goes Saturday in the seven-furlong, Grade 3 Swale.

“Honorable Dillon ran a big race here in the Hutcheson, and we want to see if he’ll stretch out a bit,” Kenneally said. “The Fountain of Youth came up a bit quick for him, so we’ll take him to Tampa and give him the opportunity to try two turns there.”

A field of as many as seven or eight 3-year-olds could take shape for the Swale, and along with Gombey Dancer, it could include Are You Kidding Me, Clearly Now, Dighton, Forty Tales, Merit Man, and perhaps Little Distorted.

Forty Tales, a troubled and fast-closing second in the Hutcheson, worked a half-mile in 49.61 in company with Shanghai Bobby at Palm Meadows on Monday.