As Seen On Tv may like longer distance of the Mucho Macho Man, one of five Saturday stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The start of the new year means the start of a new 3-year-old season, and where better to take those first steps on the road to the Kentucky Derby than Gulfstream Park? The series of prep races, which is second to none each season, begins Saturday with the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man.

The lineup for the one-mile Mucho Macho Man is coming up a good one led by Chance It, the undisputed leader of the local 2-year-old division in 2019. He’ll face a field that is expected to include Smash Factor, who defeated Chance It when the pair launched their careers together going five furlongs here June 1; South Bend, whose lone setback in four starts came in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs; and stakes winners Sole Volante and As Seen On Tv.

Others expected to run are the graded stakes-tested Ashaar and undefeated Inter Miami.

The Mucho Macho Man is one of five stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday’s card that also features the Grade 3 Kitten’s Joy on turf.

As Seen On Tv has shown a lot of talent in a short period of time, having captured 2 of 3 starts, including the 6 1/2-furlong Juvenile Sprint at Gulfstream Park in his 2-year-old finale, for which he earned a career-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure. As Seen on Tv is trained by Kelly Breen for Screen Door Stables LLC.

“He’s a speedy horse, and we’re really working on rating him,” Breen said. “He’s got a good mind on him, his workouts have been very good, and he’s coming into the race great. I’m real excited to see him run, although we know it’s not going to be an easy race.”

Breen is hoping the added distance will be a plus for As Seen On Tv, who will stretch out beyond 6 1/2 furlongs for the first time in the Mucho Macho Man.

“His breeding suggests the farther he goes the better, being out of a Pulpit mare,” Breen said. “That’s what we thought when we first bought him, that he was a two-turn horse.

“I wasn’t necessarily surprised he won first time out, but I was surprised how fast he ran doing it. Even the race he got beat at Monmouth Park they ran really fast, 1:08 and change, and the same thing when he won at Gulfstream Park West. So I’m hoping as we continue to stretch him out, that the sky is the limit.”

Chance It, Smash Factor, and Inter Miami all turned in their final works for the Mucho Macho Man over the weekend at Gulfstream Park.

Chance It, who has not started since his easy victory over Smash Factor in the 1 1/16-mile In Reality on Sept. 28, continues to train brilliantly for his return. He worked four furlongs in 45.97 seconds on Sunday before galloping out five-eighths into the turn in 58.46 under Tyler Gaffalione.

Inter Miami also worked Sunday, covering five furlongs over a good track in 1:01. Smash Factor, who was second behind As Seen On Tv in the Juvenile at Gulfstream West in his last start, breezed five-eighths in 1:01.55 over an even wetter track here Saturday.