Gulfstream Park: Twilight Eclipse punches ticket to Dubai in Mac Diarmida

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Twilight Eclipse likely earned himself a trip to Dubai next month after rallying to a popular one-length victory over Amen Kitten in Saturday’s $200,000 Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream Park.

Under confident handling from jockey Jose Lezcano, Twilight Eclipse rated early off the pace of Grade 1 winner Alpha during the opening mile of the 1 3/8-mile Mac Diarmida. Twilight Eclipse moved to closer contention while three wide approaching the quarter pole, took control entering the stretch, then withstood a bid from Amen Kitten through the final furlong.

The win was the second in three starts at Gulfstream for Twilight Eclipse, a 5-year-old son of Purim, who set a course record winning the Grade 2 Pan American going 1 1/2 miles here last spring.

Amen Kitten proved no match for the winner but held off Slumber by a neck to finish second. The latter had to take up briefly along the inside on the final turn before rallying belatedly to be third in the Grade 2 event.

Twilight Eclipse, who is trained by Tom Albertrani for West Point Thoroughbreds, covered the distance in 2:15.18 over a firm course and paid $4.80 as the favorite.

“It was an ideal trip,” said Albertrani. “The plan was to ride him with a little confidence, let Alpha go if he wanted to go, put him in a good position and let him go from there. This horse never gets tired. The longer the better, that’s the whole key with him.”

Albertrani said he’s already received an invitation to run Twilight Eclipse in the Dubai Sheema Classic on March 29.

“We were all talking about going to Dubai depending on the outcome today, so now I think that’s the way we’ll go,” said Albertrani.