Value Engineering outlasts Marwad in Mac Diarmida

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Prior to winning the Fountain of Youth with Forte, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher already had enjoyed a terrific Saturday at Gulfstream Park by winning two of the three turf stakes on the day for male horses.

In the meantime, Mike Maker perpetuated his domination of older-horse turf marathons by winning the third of those stakes, the Mac Diarmida.

All three were run over a firm turf before the Fountain of Youth capped a 14-race card.

Mac Diarmida

Value Engineering ($13.40) outgamed Marwad in a prolonged stretch duel after those two pulled away from the other 10 older horses in the $200,000 Mac Diarmida, a three-turn race going 1 3/8 miles. This was the fourth time in the last five runnings Maker has won the Grade 2 race around three turns.

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Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Value Engineering finished in 2:14.20 with his first graded stakes win (99 Beyer Speed Figure). The 7-year-old Lemon Drop Kid gelding has come to peak form this winter at Gulfstream, having already won the off-turf Allen Jerkens before finishing a good second to his Maker stablemate, Red Knight, in the Grade 3 W. L. McKnight in late January.

“He’s really come around,” Maker said. “Jose rode a great race. It looks like he kind of floated out at the top of the lane to engage the other horse.”

Marwad, drawn in off the also-eligibles list, loomed boldly into contention a quarter-mile out before settling for second, three-quarters of a length behind the winner. Master Piece was third, while Highest Honors, the 5-2 favorite, was no real threat when fourth.

Value Engineering, owned by Michael Hui and Phil Forte, could return in the Pan American on the April 1 Florida Derby undercard, as well as Red Knight and another Maker horse or two. Maker also ran Wicked Fast (fifth) and Bemma’s Boy (11th) in the Mac Diarmida.

Maker’s prior Mac Diarmida winners were Zulu Alpha (2019 and 2020) and Temple (2022).

Canadian Turf

This one came down to a Todd Pletcher stretch duel, with favored Emmanuel ($4.60) getting the best of 4-1 second choice Steady On as they edged away from eight other older horses in the Grade 3, $150,000 Canadian Turf at 1 1/16 miles.

Emmanuel, entered off a track-record performance at Tampa Bay Downs following a six-month layoff, freed himself from a tight group to run down Steady On, who had taken over for Safe Conduct after turning for home. Emmanuel, a 4-year-old More Than Ready colt, prevailed by a half-length when finishing in 1:40.31 under Javier Castellano. Fort Washington rallied closest to the rail to finish another neck back in third.

Emmanuel earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

Emmanuel was given a chance in Kentucky Derby preps last spring before Pletcher and owners WinStar Farm and Siena Farm turned to grass, referencing his pedigree. “He’s a pretty versatile horse, but he’ll probably be staying on the turf, at least for the time being,” Pletcher said.

The likely next start for Emmanuel will be “one or the other” of a pair of Grade 1 turf races in Kentucky, said Pletcher, those being the April 14 Maker’s Mark Mile or the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on May 6, Kentucky Derby Day.

Colonel Liam

Pletcher said he was “honored” to win this one-mile race with favored Dude N Colorado ($5.60), who got a perfect ride from Irad Ortiz Jr. in winning by a half-length as the favorite in a field of eight 3-year-olds. The reason: the race was renamed this year for the recently retired turf star he trained to win consecutive runnings (2021-22) of the Pegasus World Cup Turf. The $200,000 race previously was known as the Palm Beach Stakes.

“It was a great ride from Irad to get him to settle the way he did,” Pletcher said. “Maybe next will be the Transylvania,” set for the April 7 opener at Keeneland.

After breaking sharply from the outside post, Dude N Colorado rated comfortably just outside the flank of Bluebirds Over, taking command entering the stretch and opening daylight ahead of a belated run from Webslinger. He finished in 1:35.05. Boppy O was another half-length behind in third, while Pletcher trainees Ok Boomer and Santorini were fourth and sixth, respectively.

Dude N Colorado, now 2 for 4 in his career, is owned by the Three Diamonds Farm of Kirk Wycoff. The British-bred colt by Uncle Mo had finished third as the pacesetter in his prior start here, the Kitten’s Joy, a Feb. 4 race won by Major Dude, a Pletcher trainee who goes next in the March 25 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park.

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