Hemsworth's last race stands out entering Mucho Macho Man

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A maiden winning a stakes race is no longer considered a rare phenomenon, but few have done so as impressively as Hemsworth did when cruising to a 9 1/2-length victory to close out his 2-year-old campaign in the Grade 2 Nashua at Aqueduct.

Trainer Tom Albertrani is hoping his homebred can build on that performance when he kicks off his 2017 season in the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man, the last of four stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday’s 11-race program at Gulfstream Park.

A field of 11 was entered in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man, including the stakes winner Sonic Mule and the multiple graded stakes-placed Recruiting Ready, both of whom went into the race after the Grade 3 Hutcheson, which was also scheduled to be run here Saturday, failed to fill.

Hemsworth had finished fourth in two previous starts before his breakthrough effort in the one-mile Nashua, controlling the pace from the outset en route to a convincing victory over Han Sense, who is also in the Mucho Macho Man lineup. Hemsworth raced on Lasix for the first time in the Nashua.

“He did have a little trace of blood after his second start but nothing significant,” Albertrani said of the decision to use Lasix in the Nashua. “This horse always showed he had a lot of talent. I thought he ran well in his first start but was a little disappointing the second time. I really thought he’d run better that day. But I didn’t hesitate running him in the Grade 2 – that’s how much confidence I had in this horse.”

Albertrani said he was somewhat surprised that Hemsworth went to the lead in the Nashua.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect to see him in front, but two of the other starters got away slow that day, and he just sort of inherited the lead, but did so easily,” said Albertrani. “And while it was a small and perhaps not that strong of a field, I thought he was pretty impressive the way he did it.”

Todd Pletcher had planned on running Sonic Mule in the seven-furlong Hutcheson, but after that race was scrapped, he decided to target the Mucho Macho Man. Sonic Mule has won his last two starts, including the six-furlong Buffalo Man by 1 3/4 lengths over a sloppy track here Dec. 10.

“He’s training well and is a very versatile horse,” said Pletcher, “although at the moment, I feel his best lick is probably sprinting.”

There is speed aplenty in the Mucho Macho Man, including Recruiting Ready, who was unsuccessful when trying to rate off Sonic Mule in the Buffalo Man, finishing a tiring third as the 3-5 choice in his juvenile finale.

Even Thunder will attempt to stretch out to a mile after closing out his 2-year-old campaign with a pair of six-furlong stakes victories, including the King’s Swan at Aqueduct on Dec. 2.

State of Honor, the runner-up in the 1 1/8-mile Coronation Futurity at Woodbine in his last start, and impressive maiden winners Cavil and Skyler’s Scramjet also figure to command plenty of attention in an extremely well-matched field.

Mucho Macho Man, Race 10

Key Contenders

Hemsworth, by Bernardini

Last 3 Beyers: 83-67-62

◗ Will break from post 11, and Albertrani said he expects his horse to track the early leaders.

“I don’t plan on sending him out of there,” Albertrani said. “Hopefully, there will be a good pace up front and he’ll break well enough to put himself in good position.”

Sonic Mule, by Distorted Humor

Last 3 Beyers: 77-70-62

◗ He is winless in two starts at a mile, having finished a tiring third in the Sapling and a rallying second in the Armed Forces on turf at 2.