Halladay wraps up season with Tropical Park Derby win

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Halladay closed out his short but successful 3-year-old season on Saturday the way it began six months earlier – with a victory.

Halladay did not launch his 3-year-old campaign until June 22, capturing a seven-furlong maiden special weight test over the Belmont Park turf course. He closed it out by becoming a stakes winner in the $75,000 Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream Park.

With regular rider John Velazquez aboard, Halladay broke well from his outside post to stalk the early pace of longshot Notorious Nick before readily taking control of the race once settling into the backstretch in the 1 1/16-mile race. He was never seriously threatened thereafter, readily holding off a final bid from the Mike Maker-trained Faraway Kitten once finally set down by Velazquez near midstretch to win by 1 3/4 widening lengths.

Faraway Kitten raced well placed while saving ground during the early going, eased out to challenge the winner upon settling into the stretch but proved no match at the end. His stablemate, Temple, who defeated Halladay by nearly a length winning the Gio Ponti Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 29, angled widest into the stretch and rallied mildly while finishing another length back in third as the tepid 3-1 favorite.

Halladay, a son of War Front owned by Harrell Ventures, covered the distance over a course rated good in 1:43.00 and paid $8.60.

“He’s a hard horse to ride, he’s very keen the first part of the race,” said Velazquez. “But in his last two races, he’s shown a whole different dimension to me. Last time, he was left a little at the start but relaxed behind horses and ran a really game race coming from a little further back than we wanted to. Today, he broke well enough, he settled good enough. He was going so easily, he threw the ears up and relaxed very well. And when I asked him, he took it from there.”

Touriga outkicks Pivotal Connection in Via Borghese

Velazquez came right back in the next race to post his second straight stakes win when guiding the 20-1 Touriga to a game head decision over the 5-2 favorite Pivotal Connection in the $75,000 Via Borghese for older fillies and mares on the turf. Chipolata finished third after having to steady while rallying in late stretch.

Touriga, winless in four U.S. appearances coming into the Via Borghese, rated in the middle of the 10-horse field for the opening six furlongs of the 1 3/16-mile Via Borghese. She commenced her rally four wide on the final bend and engaged the leaders at midstretch before outkicking Pivotal Connection in the closing yards

The latter slipped along the rail to take control inside the eighth-pole, continued willingly inside the winner, and just missed. Chipolata saved ground to the stretch, had to take up briefly in traffic approaching midstretch before falling short of the top pair with her belated rally.

A claim of foul by Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard Chipolata against Pivotal Connection was disallowed.

A Group 1 winner in her native Brazil, Touriga is trained by Graham Motion for owner Kiyoshi Maekawa. She paid $43.80.

“She ran a couple of disappointing, subpar races after finishing a troubled third in her U.S. debut, but today she was a different horse,” said Motion. “I felt pretty confident throughout the race the way she was traveling. It looked like Johnny had a lot of horse. We’ll probably keep her in these longer races at Gulfstream this winter. She obviously handles this turf course, and it doesn’t hurt to have Johnny here, too.”

American Tattoo delivers in H. Allen Jerkens Stakes

American Tattoo gave Pletcher his second stakes win on the card when leading throughout to register a popular victory as the 1-5 favorite in the $100,000. H. Allen Jerkens Stakes. The race originally was scheduled to be run at two miles on the turf but ultimately was decided at 1 1/4 miles over the main track due to overnight rains.

American Tattoo, making his first start since finishing third in the Grade 3 Marathon at Santa Anita on Breeders’ Cup weekend, held off a challenge from Carom on the final turn as well as a late bid from Shazier. The latter had his chances compromised when bumped several times by Carom near midstretch.

Jose Ortiz rode American Tattoo for Pletcher, who earlier in the day won the Tropical Park Derby with Halladay. American Tattoo, who is campaigned by Calumet Farm and John Anthony Stables, paid $2.60.