Pletcher and Saez spread the joy Christmas weekend
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Todd Pletcher spent the holidays with family in Ocala but his imposing presence was felt here nonetheless with the Hall of Fame trainer capturing two of the three stakes decided at Gulfstream Park over Christmas weekend – the two-mile Allen Jerkens on Friday with Abaan and the Tropical Park Derby 48 hours later with the up-and-coming 3-year-old turf specialist Never Surprised.
Abaan led throughout the Jerkens, ultimately drawing off to a convincing 4 1/2-length triumph over the more seasoned long-winded specialist Ajourneytofreedom while stretching out beyond 1 1/2 miles for the first time. The win was the second in a row and third in the last four starts for the steadily improving son of Will Take Charge, who earned a career best 92 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.
Never Surprised used a similar modus operandi as Abaan in the 1 1/16-mile Tropical Park Derby, seizing command right from the start, not only never relinquishing the advantage but increasing his lead the farther he went. Never Surprised hit the wire 6 1/4 lengths in front of both Grade 3 winner Yes This Time and Queen’s Plate hero Safe Conduct, who finished noses apart in that order for second money with neither threatening the winner at any point. The margin of victory was exactly the same as Never Surprised posted capturing the Gio Ponti at Aqueduct four weeks earlier.
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Never Surprised, who was graded stakes-placed three times in succession earlier this season, has now won four times while never having finished worse than second in seven career starts. Owned by Mike Repole, the son of Constitution could be a candidate for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, won earlier this year by the Pletcher-trained Colonel Liam.
Earlier on Sunday, Pletcher sent out yet another in a seemingly endless succession of very impressive 2-year-old debut winners here during the opening month of the Championship meet. The latest on the ever-growing list is American Icon, a son of Gun Runner who drew off to an 8 1/2-length victory at first asking, earning a 75 Beyer Figure for the effort while ridden out to the wire while seemingly capable of going faster. American Icon is owned in partnership by WinStar Farm and Siena Farm.
Saez has five-win Sunday
Abaan, Never Surprised, and American Icon were all ridden by Luis Saez, who continues to dominate the jockey standings during the opening month of Championship session with 26 winners despite not having arrived until a week after the meet began.
Saez, who posted back-to-back four-baggers here on Dec. 15 and 16, did one better on Sunday, notching five wins. He has 285 victories for the year, the highest single-season mark of his career. Saez’s previous best was 281 winners in 2012.
Jockey Leonel Reyes also had himself a belated Christmas celebration here Sunday after posting a hat trick that included a victory aboard the 18-1 maiden winner Beechnut Trophy for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. in the afternoon’s opening event.
Feature race wide open
Racing resumes Wednesday with a 10-race program that features a $750,000-guaranteed jackpot in the Rainbow 6, the penultimate leg of which is a $61,000 allowance race carded at one mile on turf that lured a wide-open field of 10 older fillies and mares.
Applecross, who held her own against perhaps slightly tougher allowance opposition last winter and spring at Santa Anita, should go postward among the favorites while making her first start since being transferred to trainer Bill Mott earlier this season. Applecross holds a fairly decided Beyer Speed Figure edge over her nine rivals, although her detractors will point to the fact she hasn’t won a race since winning her maiden in May of 2019 or in eight appearance since shipping to the U.S. later that summer.
Three members of the field, Isadorable Aida, Starship Malomar, and Centsless Drama, exit the well-graded Claiming Crown Tiara on Dec. 4 and also figure as key players in the somewhat inscrutable main event. Isadorable Aida’s seven wins are far and away more than any other member of the lineup while Centsless Drama figures to control the pace and should relish the turn back in distance to one mile.