Vitalogy returns a winner in Palm Beach Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Back-to-back races for 3-year-olds early on the Saturday card got the stakes action under way on a very busy Fountain of Youth Day at Gulfstream Park.

Vitalogy gave fair warning that he could become a force in the 3-year-old turf division when dominating the Grade 3, $150,000 Palm Beach Stakes under Javier Castellano. The 3-year-old British-bred had not raced since finishing second in the Grade 3 Bourbon last fall at Keeneland, after which he was a controversial scratch from the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

“I just feel glad for the owners because it was an awful blow for them last year,” winning trainer Brendan Walsh. “We didn’t feel there was anything wrong with the horse, but that’s in the past and we’ll move on.”

Vitalogy, the 2-1 favorite in a field of 11, returned $6 after finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.86 over firm turf. The No Nay Never colt is owned by Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel, and Bottle Rocket Stable.

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Breaking from the far outside post, Vitalogy quickly negated that disadvantage when putting himself in a perfect stalking spot into the first turn behind 209-1 shot Allgorilla. After easing toward the lead approaching the quarter pole, the colt took command before holding sway under a steady drive, prevailing by a length over Tiesto. South Bend was another half-length back in third.

“He showed me more tactical speed today, and I took it from there,” said Castellano. “I think I had the best horse today. I let him come out and put himself in good position and enjoyed the ride. He’s a really nice horse.”

Walsh said the Cutler Bay on the March 28 Florida Derby undercard or the April 3 Transylvania at Keeneland would be a probable next start for Vitalogy.

“He certainly proved today that he’s as good as he was last year,” said Walsh.

With Verve upsets Hutcheson

With Verve ($38.60) rallied from last in a field of six before prevailing in a four-way photo in the $100,000 Hutcheson Stakes at six furlongs.

Ridden by Edgar Prado, With Verve won by a neck over the odds-on favorite, Shivaree, with Ournationonparade another neck back in third and Smash Factor another half-length back in fourth. The winning time was 1:11.44 over a fast main track.

With Verve, bred in Florida by his owner, Eric Wirth, gave trainer Larry Bates his first stakes victory in more than two years and just his second since Black Diamond Cat swept three straight sprint stakes in the summer of 2013.

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“Mr. Wirth has been very dedicated, he’s been in the game 50 years,” said Bates. “They’ve had a lot of homebreds. This is the nicest one we’ve had in a while. I couldn’t be happier for him.”

Prado is approaching another major milestone in his Hall of Fame career. This was career win No. 7,054, leaving him just three behind Angel Cordero Jr. in eighth on the all-time list.

With Verve, a gelding by Kantharos, was coming off a win in Florida-bred allowance company.