Hawkish returns from long layoff in Appleton Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – When trainer Jimmy Toner decided to give Hawkish a break following a seventh-place finish in last July’s Belmont Derby, he didn’t expect it would last nearly nine months.

Last fall, Toner wasn’t pleased with how Hawkish was doing, so the decision was ultimately made to shut him down for the year and point to a 4-year-old season. That campaign begins Friday, when Hawkish returns to the races in the Grade 3, $100,000 Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The Appleton, for older horses at one mile on turf, is one of three stakes on an 11-race program that serves as the warm-up act for Saturday’s 14-race Florida Derby Day extravaganza. There were supposed to be four stakes Friday, but the $75,000 Sir Shackleton did not field enough entries to be carded.

Hawkish, a gelding by Artie Schiller owned by Robert LaPenta, A J Suited Racing, and Madaket Stables, went 3 for 5 in his 3-year-old season in 2018. That included a three-length victory in the Grade 2, $500,000 Penn Mile at Penn National. The 1 1/4 miles of the Belmont Derby figured to be stretching Hawkish, and it was, as he finished 11 lengths behind winner Catholic Boy. Toner gave the gelding time off, hoping to bring him back for the fall, but Toner said Hawkish was going in the wrong direction.

“I wasn’t happy with the way he was training,” Toner said. “At that point, we decided, ‘Let’s just shut him down and bring him back in the spring.’ ”

Hawkish, who won his career debut at Gulfstream in January 2018, shows seven works since Feb. 4 over the Palm Meadows training center turf course.

“He’s done everything the right way,” said Toner, who is winless with 17 starters at this meet. “There are some nice horses in there, but we got to get started, and I think it’s a good place to start”

Irad Ortiz Jr., who is 2 for 2 on Hawkish, has the call from post 4.

Doctor Mounty won the Grade 3 Tropical Turf here 11 weeks ago. He took advantage of a strong early pace to rally from last and win by a length. Your Only Man, second in that race, came back to win a starter stakes race.

Doctor Mounty, trained by Shug McGaughey, is 2 for 3 at a mile, “which is surprising to me,” the trainer said, expecting that the horse wanted more distance.

“I like the idea of running him fresh,” McGaughey said.

Krampus won the Grade 3 Canadian Turf here on March 2, laying close to a soft pace. He could get a front-running trip Friday under John Velazquez.

Completing the field are Cowboy’s Hero, Dr. Edgar, Holiday Stone, Uncle B, Vici, and Uno Emayo.

Santa Monica tops Orchid field

Before trainer Chad Brown prepares to unleash his upper-echelon turf monsters this spring in Kentucky and New York, he will send out the hard-trying Santa Monica as the probable favorite in Friday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Orchid for females at 1 3/8 miles on turf.

Santa Monica, a 6-year-old daughter of Mastercraftsman, is coming off a one-length loss to Si Que Es Buena in the Grade 3 La Prevoyante going 1 1/2 miles here on Jan. 26.

“She was off a little bit of a break. She might have been a little short for that race,” Brown said.

Since her last start, Santa Monica has been sold to Japanese owners by previous owners Susan Magnier, Sol Kumin, and Deron Pearson. That she was kept in training at age 6 was judged “a good move” by Brown.

“She had a little freshening. She looks really happy and sound,” Brown said.

One of Brown’s former horses Homeland Security is in this field. Homeland Security went 4 for 8 for Brown, including a pair of stakes victories at 1 1/2 miles. She was purchased at the Keeneland November sale for $460,000 by Moyglare Stud and turned over to Christophe Clement.

“She’s done everything right. Looks like a nice filly, looks like a staying filly, looks like a stakes filly,” said Clement, who has won this race seven times. “How good she is we’ll find out on Friday.”

Ickymasho, beaten a head by Holy Helena after making all the pace in the Grade 3 The Very One on March 2, could be the one to catch again under the hot-riding Luis Saez.

Maroubra, who went 3 for 9 in France, makes her U.S. debut and her first start for trainer Cherie DeVaux. Completing the lineup are A. A. Azula’s Arch, Giant Zinger, Cha Cha Heels, Shezaprado, and Kallio.