Havana begins comeback in Gold Fever

Trainer Todd Pletcher was scheduled to run four horses in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. None was named Havana, his most accomplished 2-year-old of 2013.

Havana, the winner of the Grade 1 Champagne, the runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and a finalist for the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male, will make his 3-year-old debut in Sunday’s $100,000 Gold Fever Stakes, a six-furlong race at Belmont Park.

The Gold Fever, which goes as the third, is the co-feature on a nine-race card that includes the $100,000 Drosselmeyer Stakes.

Havana was hampered by quarter-crack issues during the winter, the most recent one being diagnosed March 1, forcing him to scratch out of the Grade 2 Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Pletcher had to back off any Triple Crown-trail aspirations for Havana, so he targeted the $500,000 Woody Stephens, a seven-furlong race on the Belmont Stakes undercard, with the Gold Fever as a prep.

“He’s doing well enough,” Pletcher said. “This isn’t our major goal of the year. Hopefully, we have him ready enough to run well and continue to move forward after that.”

Havana, a son of Dunkirk, won his maiden at Saratoga, missing the track record for 5 1/2 furlongs by 0.13 seconds. Havana won the Champagne by a neck over Honor Code. In the Breeders’ Cup, his first start around two turns, Havana inherited the lead earlier than desired and couldn’t hold off New Year’s Day.

On Sunday, in a race with seemingly a lot of early-speed types, Pletcher anticipates Havana coming from off the pace under John Velazquez.

“I think he’s adaptable to be wherever you want him,” Pletcher said. “With a lot of speed in there, I think he can be in a stalking position.”

Havana will be coupled in the wagering with The Admiral, as both are owned by the Coolmore connections of Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier, and Derrick Smith. The Admiral, trained by Bob Baffert, remained in New York after finishing fourth in the Bay Shore Stakes after being part of a four-ply speed duel early on.

Baffert said he erroneously instructed to have The Admiral on the lead in the Bay Shore, and that cost him.

“I thought the track was going to be real fast that day,” Baffert said. “The horse likes to come from off the pace. He got a little tired; he flattened out a little bit. He ran a decent race.”

Joel Rosario rides The Admiral from the rail.

Favorite Tale won his first three starts before being dueled into defeat when seventh in the Bay Shore. Eye Luv Lulu, Meadowood, and Pure Sensation complete the field.

Micromanage in Drosselmeyer

Micromanage, a minor stakes winner at 3, might have had his breakthrough performance five weeks ago, when he galloped to a 4 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Skip Away Stakes at 1 3/16 miles at Gulfstream Park.

On Sunday, he will try to build on that effort while preparing for the $500,000 Brooklyn Invitational on June 7 when he faces six rivals in the $100,000 Drosselmeyer at 1 1/4 miles.

Micromanage, a bit inconsistent through his career, earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory in the Skip Away. It was his first start since Pletcher equipped him with blinkers following a seventh-place finish in the Grade 3 Mineshaft at Fair Grounds in February.

“Mike Smith rode him in the Mineshaft, and he said he thought he was intimidated on the inside throughout the race, so I figured we’d experiment with the blinkers,” Pletcher said.

Micromanage broke from the outside in the Skip Away, “so I don’t know if it was being on the outside or the blinkers that helped, but they certainly didn’t hurt him,” Pletcher said.

Micromanage will break from post 2 under Javier Castellano in the Drosselmeyer.

Ground Transport and Mr Palmer ran one-two all the way around the Laurel track in the Harrison Johnson Memorial Stakes on March 22. Ground Transport once again could be the controlling speed as he attempts 1 1/4 miles for the first time.

Jonesy Boy, the winner of the Queens County at 1 1/8 miles, comes off a fast-closing third in the Stymie and might benefit from the additional furlong in this race.

Quaesitor, the winner of the Grade 3 Valedictory over Woodbine’s synthetic surface in December, is scheduled to make his 5-year-old debut in this spot. He lost his only try on dirt. Awesome Vision and Ever Rider complete the field.