Pletcher hopes to make Federal Case in Hutcheson

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The bad news about the two Saturday stakes at Gulfstream Park is that they both attracted just five horses. The good news is at least they look like competitive races.

The Grade 3, $100,000 Hutcheson and the $75,000 Any Limit, both for 3-year-olds at six furlongs, will anchor a 13-race Saturday card that starts at 12:45 p.m. Eastern.

While the filly-only Any Limit will be run earlier on the card, the Hutcheson is part of a Rainbow 6 sequence that spans races 8-13. The Rainbow jackpot was on pace this week to exceed $2 million Saturday. A mandatory disbursement is scheduled for closing day of the championship meet, March 31.

Many of the top jockeys at Gulfstream will be away Saturday to compete on the big Louisiana Derby card at Fair Grounds, including Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose Ortiz, Luis Saez, John Velazquez, Tyler Gaffalione, Joe Bravo, and Brian Hernandez Jr.

Hutcheson (race 12, 6:10)

Federal Case, who has never raced at such a short distance, could settle in as a slight favorite in the 64th Hutcheson. He breaks from post 2 under Javier Castellano.

The Gemologist colt will be adding blinkers after winning his first two starts and then finishing seventh in his most recent race, the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull on Feb. 2.

“He wasn’t away real well in the Holy Bull,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I’m not saying we won’t give him another shot at more distance somewhere down the road, but this seemed like a pretty good spot to try to turn him back and see what he could do.”

Before the Holy Bull, Federal Case earned a field-high 88 Beyer Speed Figure when winning a one-mile allowance here in December in his first start for owners Robert and Lawana Low, who purchased the Kentucky-bred for $650,000 at Keeneland last November in the wake of a sharp debut triumph the previous month there.

Off the longer races, Federal Case most likely will have to come from off the pace. The ones to catch figure to be In the Loop (post 1, Jevian Toledo), a debut winner here four Saturdays ago for Colts Neck Stables and trainer Jorge Duarte Jr., and Lutsky (post 5, Nik Juarez), third in an allowance sprint won by Mucho earlier this month. Topper T and Gladiator King round out the cast.

Any Limit (race 6, 3:10)

Getting Warmer has turned in a couple of bullet works since being sent to Kelly Breen at the Palm Meadows training center and stands a decent chance to turn her form around in the fifth running of the Any Limit. Previously trained by Eddie Coletti, the Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Algorithms won her first two starts, both at Parx Racing, then finished fifth and seventh in stakes at Laurel and Aqueduct. She’ll have Juarez aboard and breaks from post 4.

“It’s a great spot for us,” Breen said.

Probably the top threats to Getting Warmer are Smoken Deb (post 2, Castellano), just two races removed from a maiden-claiming triumph, and Brunette Princess (post 5, Chris Landeros), who has been no worse than third in five of her six starts. Her only off-the-board finish was a seventh in the Grade 3 Forward Gal.

Miss Marcela and Questionoftheday complete the field.