Pletcher has three threats prepping for Pegasus World Cup in Harlan's Holiday

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – There are three Grade 3 races on Saturday’s 11-race program at Gulfstream Park, but it is the $100,000 Harlan’s Holiday that takes center stage as a prep for the $12 million Pegasus World Cup here on Jan. 28.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will showcase two and perhaps three potential Pegasus starters in the 1 1/16-mile Harlan’s Holiday, with Keen Ice and Stanford expected to vie for favoritism and Madefromlucky, the runner-up in this race a year ago, also a major player if he starts.

Keen Ice finished a distant third behind Arrogate and California Chrome in the Breeders’ Cup Classic while making just his second start since joining Pletcher’s stable following his eighth-place finish in the Dubai World Cup in March. Keen Ice turned in his best performance during the summer of 2015, when he upset American Pharoah to win the Grade 1 Travers for trainer Dale Romans.

“I thought he ran well in the Breeders’ Cup when maybe being one race shy of getting back to his very best,” said Pletcher. “A mile and one-sixteenth is not his ideal distance, but I want to get a race into him between now and the Pegasus to sharpen him up. It’s better than waiting all the way until Jan. 28.”

Stanford has not started since finishing eighth in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap last June at Belmont Park, his only outing since winning the rich Charles Town Classic seven weeks earlier. Stanford finished second in both the Grade 3 Fred Hooper and Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap here last winter.

“We gave him some time off after the Met Mile. He’s training well, and he ran well over the track last year,” said Pletcher. “He’s a handy horse, he’s pretty versatile, and it’s time to get him started. They don’t have a mile race anymore like they did last year, so we’ll give this a try and see if he does well enough to consider the Pegasus.”

Madefromlucky finished second, less than a length behind Valid, in the 2015 Harlan’s Holiday, but like Stanford, he has been idle for quite some time, his last start coming April 9 when second in the Grade 3 Excelsior at Aqueduct. He seeks his first victory since the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby in August 2015.

Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. appears to have the best chance of upsetting the Pletcher juggernaut with his lightly raced 3-year-old Awesome Slew, who will take on older horses for the first time Saturday. Awesome Slew has improved with experience, his most impressive effort coming Sept. 5, a wire-to-wire seven-length victory in the Grade 3 Smarty Jones.

Harlan’s Holiday, Race 7

Key Contenders

Keen Ice, by Curlin

Last 3 Beyers: 103-96-100

◗ Although he’s the lone Grade 1 winner in the field, he’ll receive a little break in the weights under the allowance conditions of the race, carrying 117 pounds, three fewer than Awesome Slew and two fewer than both Stanford and Madefromlucky.

Stanford, by Malibu Moon

Last 3 Beyers: 87-104-102

◗ He has run well off the bench in the past, winning an allowance race while returning from a six-month vacation here at 3 and finishing second in the Hooper off a similar hiatus last winter.

Madefromlucky, by Lookin At Lucky

Last 3 Beyers: 103-95-89

◗ Found himself in unfamiliar territory, on the lead, in his most recent start when succumbing grudgingly to Kid Cruz in the Excelsior.

Awesome Slew, by Awesome Again

Last 3 Beyers: 96-95-53

◗ He has been freshened since finishing fifth after setting the pace into the stretch while returning on just 19 days’ rest in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby.

“The Pennsylvania Derby came up a little too quickly than would have been ideal,” said Plesa. “And the competition was a lot tougher than the Smarty Jones.”