Pletcher pointing Constitution, Danza to Donn

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It was only appropriate that Todd Pletcher would win the first race of the 2014-15 Gulfstream Park championship meeting. Costenia cruised to an entry-level allowance win in the first race Saturday, underscoring that Pletcher is back in full force seeking an unprecedented 13th training title here this winter.

Pletcher will hold a loaded hand in many important races during the meet, including Saturday’s $100,000 Harlan’s Holiday. He nominated five horses to the race, including Constitution, this year’s Florida Derby champion, and Danza, who has not started since his third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. But Pletcher said he will send out only Liam’s Map, who will make his stakes debut off a pair of one-sided victories in New York.

Pletcher said Constitution and Danza are being pointed to the Grade 1 Donn Handicap here Feb. 7, although just how he’ll get them there remains up in the air.

Constitution, who rallied to a neck victory over Wildcat Red here in March in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, shipped to Florida after finishing third in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 29.

Pletcher thought Constitution ran a big race in the Clark, considering that he and jockey Javier Castellano drifted out on the first turn.

“But that’s just him, and Javier said he was comfortable with the way he handled the turn and felt he was a lot more relaxed than I did watching the race,” Pletcher said. “He looks like he’s getting back to form now. That was only his second start since the Florida Derby, and we know he likes Gulfstream. I think this track will carry him a little more than Churchill Downs. We’ll point him to the Donn. Whether we want to run him somewhere in between, I don’t know yet. We might just train him up to the race.”

Like Constitution, Danza is stabled at Palm Beach Downs, where he’s already had five works, including five furlongs in 1:02.06 on Sunday.

“He was wiped out after the Derby. He lost some weight, so I just decided to stop on him at that point,” said Pletcher.

Pletcher’s arsenal of 2-year-olds to watch grew Sunday with the game victory by Itsaknockout, who edged stablemate and odds-on favorite Old Mountain Lane to win his debut going seven furlongs on the main track. A son of Lemon Drop Kid, Itsaknockout is owned by Starlight Stable.

“Itsaknockout trained well at Palm Beach Downs, and we were optimistic going into the race, although we felt the other horse had the advantage, having run once before,” said Pletcher. “He’s still learning. When he made the lead, he was a little unsure what to do with it, but it was a good effort from a horse with a pedigree that suggests he will stretch out.”

Pletcher has not mapped out a schedule next year for his leading 2-year-old prospects. Hopeful Stakes winner Competitive Edge, unbeaten and unchallenged in two starts, is already at Palm Beach Downs, while Carpe Diem and Daredevil remain at WinStar Farm, where they were sent following respective second- and 11th-place finishes in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.