Guns Loaded holds off late-surging Treaty of Rome in Mucho Macho Man

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Guns Loaded caught a break when “the other speed” in the race, Macho Music, broke slowly, and made the most of the opportunity, leading all the way before holding safe a late rally by Treaty of Rome to register a popular victory in Saturday’s $165,000 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park.

The one-mile Mucho Macho Man is the first of four key Kentucky Derby preps for 3-year-olds to be decided here this winter. They are topped by the $1 million Florida Derby on March 29.

Guns Loaded, a well-graded maiden winner going six furlongs in his previous start, came away alertly from his inside post and quickly took control of the race leaving the mile chute. A son of Gun Runner, Guns Loaded set modest fractions, 24.54 seconds and 47.61 to the half, settled into the stretch with a seemingly comfortable four-length advantage, but was fully extended to prevail by a rapidly diminishing neck margin over Treaty of Rome. The latter was forwardly placed from the outset, raced three wide commencing his bid leaving the final bend, and was gaining steadily on the winner at the end.

It was another 3 3/4 lengths farther back to his stablemate Septarian, who finished third.

Guns Loaded is trained by Jose D’Angelo for the partnership of Morplay Racing, Joey Platts and Lady Sheila Stable. Guns Loaded ($4.60) completed the distance over a fast track in 1:38.87 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 79.

“I was pretty sure he was going to be on the lead, I was just afraid of him running too fast fractions being his first time running a mile,” D’Angelo said. “I worked on him this week with leaving the gate and everything worked out perfect. We needed him to break sharp and get out before anybody, and that’s what happened.”

D’Angelo said he thought his lightly raced colt, who was making just his third start and first beyond seven furlongs, was still a little green even in victory.

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“I asked Luis [Saez] about the gallop-out and he said when he felt that horse [Treaty of Rome] he got another gear. So that’s good, but we have to continue to work with him to keep moving forward.”

D’Angelo said the plan is to bring Guns Loaded back in the next local Derby prep, the Grade 3 Holy Bull, at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 2.

Nitrogen takes Ginger Brew

Nitrogen finished full of run once finding a seam between horses near midstretch to outfinish the rail-skimming Love Cervere by a half-length and register a popular win of her own in the $165,000 Ginger Brew for 3-year-old fillies on the turf.

Nitrogen entered the race off a troubled third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and appeared destined to perhaps suffer a similar fate when bottled up in traffic turning into the stretch. But jockey Jose Ortiz, who shipped in from the Fair Grounds for the assignment, was able to squeeze the 9-5 favorite through a narrow opening near midstretch, the pair coming on strongly outside horses once in the clear to prove narrowly best.

Love Cervere ran huge in defeat after having to take up sharply when shut off along the rail in the run to the clubhouse turn. An easy winner of her only previous start going six furlongs at Aqueduct on Nov. 1, Lord Cervere raced in midpack after recovering from the early incident, rallied up the rail to stick her nose in front approaching the wire, but could not quite hold off the winner’s final rally. Civetta finished another neck farther back after gaining a short advantage between calls in deep stretch.

Nitrogen, a D J Stable homebred, gave trainer Mark Casse his third win on the card. She paid $5.60 after covering a mile over the firm going in 1:34.53.

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