Gulfstream Park: Pletcher leads with two pair in Old Hat, Spectacular Bid

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Todd Pletcher’s 3-year-old machine will be in high gear Saturday at Gulfstream Park. The track’s perennial leading trainer, Pletcher will send out two of the top contenders in both 3-year-old stakes on the card, the $100,000 Spectacular Bid and its filly counterpart, the $100,000 Old Hat.

Pletcher will saddle Sweet Whiskey and Co Cola against four other rivals in the Grade 3 Old Hat. Sweet Whiskey is the class of the field, having finished second behind the then-undefeated Miss Behaviour in the Grade 2 Matron at Belmont Park on Sept. 29 before taking the remainder of her 2-year-old campaign off.

[Clocker Reports: Get Mike Welsch’s clocker reports from Gulfstream Park and Palm Meadows]

“We thought she ran a decent second in the Matron but seemed to be a little tucked up off the campaign,” said Pletcher when asked why Sweet Whiskey has been off three months. “We knew the Old Hat was positioned here and possibly the Forward Gal, and just wanted to freshen her up and be ready for this. We know she’s a filly who’ll fire off the bench.”

Co Cola was an impressive debut winner at Belmont on Oct. 6, winning off by four widening lengths as the even-money favorite before returning to finish second making her stakes debut at Laurel six weeks later.

“She’s trained well,” Pletcher said. “She didn’t show quite as much speed in her second start, and I think she’s the type of filly who wants to be a little closer to the pace.”

Zensational Bunny is the only stakes winner in the six-furlong Old Hat, but will be trying dirt for the first time. She returned quick dividends after being purchased privately by Gary Barber and transferred to Mark Casse’s barn following her debut win, posting an easy 3 3/4-length victory going seven-eighths on Polytrack in Woodbine’s Glorious Song on Nov. 23.

Milam has won 2 of 4 starts, including her 2-year-old finale against first-level optional-claiming company at Churchill Downs. She finished fourth in the Grade 2 Pocahontas late last summer in her only stakes try.

Side Street, runner-up in Calder’s Cut the Charm and coming in off a sizzling five-furlong gate work, and the undefeated Aurelia’s Belle complete the field.

Pletcher also has a very strong hand in the six-furlong Spectacular Bid, with the Grade 2 winner Corfu and debut winner Trail Blaze among the eight 3-year-olds in the lineup.

Corfu launched his career with a pair of wire-to-wire victories that included a game nose decision over Wired Bryan in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special. He has been beaten as the favorite in all three subsequent starts, including a second in the Grade 2 Futurity at Belmont. He’ll wear blinkers for the first time Saturday.

“He didn’t get away real well in his last start at Laurel, and I think he’s the type of horse who needs to be up on the lead,” Pletcher said. “We put some blinkers on him for this, and we’ll try to let him do his thing and take advantage of his speed.”

Trail Blaze was nothing short of sensational in his only start, rallying to a 4 3/4-length win at Aqueduct with something left in the tank. He earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He was pretty impressive first time out and certainly ran fast enough to fit in a stakes,” Pletcher said. “We had entered him in an allowance race that didn’t fill and the concern is going right from a maiden race into a stakes.”

Corfu figures to have plenty of company on the lead with speedsters like Cool Cowboy, Giancarlo, Hollywood Talent, and Elusive Blueboy in the lineup, although both Giancarlo and Cool Cowboy were cross-entered Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs in the Pasco Stakes.

An honest pace in the Spectacular Bid would enhance the chances of late runners like Just Call Kenny and C. Zee.