Gulfstream Park: Wednesday allowance could determine path for Ana Luisa

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Which road trainer Todd Pletcher decides to travel with his promising South American-bred filly Ana Luisa for the remainder of the season may well be determined by how she performs Wednesday at Gulfstream Park in a $58,500 allowance race at a mile over the main track.

Ana Luisa, who joined Pletcher’s stable late last season, already has shown her versatility by winning graded races on both turf and dirt in her native Brazil. She made her U.S. debut here last month on grass, finishing a late-running fourth in the South Beach Stakes.

“She’s got a little form in Brazil on the dirt, she’s trained well on it, so I wanted to give her another try on it,” Pletcher said. “She’s good on the turf and good on the dirt, so this will kind of give us an idea what direction to head.

“I thought her last race was good and steady. She ran hard all the way to the wire but was kind of one-paced, which is why I think the dirt is a little better suited for her. We’ll know afterwards if this race is a prep for something or not.”

Ana Luisa will face a stakes-caliber group in her return to dirt, including Centrique, Dreaming of Sophia, and Gamay Noir.

Centrique has not started since closing out her 2013 campaign with a 1 1/4-length victory in the seven-furlong Claiming Crown Glass Slipper on Dec. 7. The win was the third in a dozen starts last season for Centrique, a daughter of Malibu Moon who has continued to improve since joining trainer Marty Wolfson’s stable last April.

Like Ana Luisa, Dreaming of Sophia can handle turf and dirt, having won stakes over both surfaces during the second half of her 3-year-old campaign in 2013. Idle since finishing third as the odds-on favorite in Calder’s grassy Frances A. Genter Stakes in October, Dreaming of Sophia has been training exceptionally well at Gulfstream for trainer Kirk Ziadie over the past several weeks.

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

Gamay Noir wheels back after being haltered by Wolfson for $100,000 on Jan. 15. The daughter of Harlan’s Holiday returns to dirt for her new connections following a steady diet of turf races.

Triple Arch and Giant Cats Eye, both high-level optional-claiming winners at the current session, complete the field.

Corfu, Trail Blaze eye Hutcheson

Pletcher sent out Corfu and Trail Blaze to work at Palm Meadows on Sunday and is considering both for Saturday’s Grade 2 Hutcheson Stakes. Trail Blaze and Corfu finished fourth and sixth, far behind the victorious Just Call Kenny, as the favorite and second choice in the Spectacular Bid Stakes on Jan. 4.

Pletcher also said that his undefeated Catron worked well Sunday at Palm Meadows and remains on target for the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship on Feb. 8. His stablemate Zaikov, however, will not make the race. Zaikov is undefeated and virtually unchallenged in two tries, but hasn’t raced since Dec. 13.

“I’ve missed a little too much time with him,” Pletcher said. “I’m hoping to get him back on the work tab shortly and make something with him later in the meet.”

Unseen Visitor returns to tab

Unseen Visitor, who was involved in a nasty three-horse spill that claimed the life of Cameo Lady and sidelined jockey Matthew Rispoli indefinitely with a broken leg and other injuries Jan. 20, returned to the work tab Monday.

Unseen Visitor, who had been claimed by Wolfson for Miller Racing LLC at Hollywood Park in her 2013 finale, breezed an easy half-mile in 49.01 seconds before galloping out five-eighths in 1:02.56 while showing no ill effects from the spill.