Mr. Jordan, Lopez stars of Sunshine Millions Preview show

MIAMI, Fla. - Mr. Jordan and jockey Paco Lopez were the stars of a very good show, the stakes-rich Sunshine Millions Preview card, Saturday at Gulfstream Park West.

The 11-race program featured nine stakes valued at $75,000 apiece, all restricted to Florida-breds.

Mr. Jordan, with Lopez aboard, had to dig down deep to register a well-deserved nose decision over hard-luck loser Deland to retain his title in the $75,000 Sunshine Millions Classic Preview. The Classic was the third of five stakes tallies here Saturday for Lopez, who just a week earlier registered the first Breeders’ Cup win of his career with Roy H in the Sprint.

Mr. Jordan had to overcome a slow start and some traffic issues when trapped along the inside on the final turn of the 1 1/16-mile Classic Preview. Lopez angled Mr. Jordan widest to secure racing room at the top of the stretch before finally wearing down Deland, with a relentless rally, at the wire.

The victory was the fifth in as many starts at Gulfstream Park West for Mr. Jordan, a 6-year-old son of Kantharos who is trained by Eddie Plesa Jr. for the partnership of David Mellin, Leon Ellman, and his wife Laurie Plesa.

Deland, the even-money favorite coming off easy stakes wins in his two previous starts across town at Gulfstream Park, stalked the early pace set by Jay’s Way, moved clear upon settling into the stretch, but could not resist the winner at the end. Weisser finished a tiring third, followed by Noble Drama and Jay’s Way.

Mr. Jordan, who won the 2017 Classic Preview by 11 1/2 lengths, paid $4.60.

“He’s a little bit on the slow side breaking, but Paco had him up there and in good position,” Plesa said. “It looked like he was in a little tight around the three-eighths pole. Paco tried to get him through, had nowhere to go and swung him to the outside. And he ran the horse down. It was a great effort on the second horse’s part (Deland), and a greater effort on our horse’s part. He loves this racetrack. We’re going to be sorry to see this racetrack go. A lot of people will.”

Plesa said he’d likely train Mr. Jordan up to the Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 19.

Lopez’s other stakes wins on the day included the Turf Preview with Galleon Mast; the Sprint aboard Kroy; the Juvenile Fillies Sprint with the unbeaten Lovesick, and Juvenile Fillies Turf on Vow to Recover.

Galleon Mast, the reigning Sunshine Millions Turf champion, like Mr. Jordan, got up in the final strides to catch pacesetter and hard-luck runner-up Class and Cash in the Turf Preview. Galleon Mast, who finished second in this race a year ago, was one of two stakes winners on the day for trainer David Fawkes along with Lovesick.

The versatile Kroy, known primarily for his prowess on grass, switched to the main track to win the six-furlong Sprint, repulsing a strong midrace challenge from Splash Rules before edging away to an impressive victory under Lopez for trainer Armando De La Cerda. Kroy, who is Grade 2-placed on the turf, had posted four of his previous five career wins on grass.

“I know he can run on dirt, but short only. Long on dirt is too far for him,” Del La Cerda said.

Trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Edgard Zayas also had a big day, combining to win two stakes, the Filly and Mare Turf Preview with Picara and the Distaff Preview with Shanghai Starlet. Both 3-year-old fillies have been stabled all year in South Florida with Pletcher’s local string at Palm Beach Downs.

Other stakes winners on the card were the odds-on Jackson, who narrowly outlasted the slow-starting Maddy’s Last Dance in the Juvenile Sprint, and Stirling Drive in the Juvenile Turf.