Channel Cat Cuts Back for Gulfstream's Ft. Lauderdale

Calumet Farm homebred Channel Cat, who made the grade in the Bowling Green Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course over the summer, heads a field of nine entered for the $200,000 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (G2T) Dec. 14 at Gulfstream Park.

The 4-year-old English Channel  colt, trained by Todd Pletcher, has run between 1 1/4 miles and 1 1/2 miles in his past six outings, including five grade 1s. He was third in both the United Nations Stakes (G1T) and Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T), and he finished seventh in his most recent race, beaten 2 1/2 lengths in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T). The Ft. Lauderdale will represent a cutback to 1 1/8 miles and could lead to another grade 1 effort in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T).

"He's training super. He came out of the Breeders' Cup in good shape. I actually thought he ran a pretty credible race," Pletcher said. "We're going to shorten him up here and see how he likes that, with the idea that it could put him in position to possibly go in the Pegasus Turf if he proves effective at a mile and an eighth. If not, then we'll go back to what we know he's had success with in the past, which is the mile-and-three-eighths, mile-and-a-half-type races."

With $894,792 in earnings from a 5-2-4 record in 19 starts, a win in the Ft. Lauderdale would make Channel Cat a millionaire.

"He's run against the best horses on the East Coast all year and has certainly shown that, on his day, he fits with the best of them," Pletcher said. "We're just hoping he can shorten up a little bit and be as effective at a mile and an eighth."

Amerman Racing's tough-luck homebred Admission Office has lost three graded stakes this year, each by half a length. The 4-year-old Point of Entry  colt rallied for third in the River City Handicap (G3T) and Wise Dan Stakes (G2T)—both at Churchill Downs—and was second in the Dixie Stakes (G2T) at Pimlico Race Course. 

Trainer Brian Lynch, who thinks the distance suits Admission Office, said he's hoping to see his charge's head in front at the wire this time around.

"He's a very talented horse, and we're just waiting for a breakthrough race for him," Lynch said. "He's just been one of them guys where if there's a way for him to get shuffled back, get a wide trip, get stuck inside, get stopped, he's found a way how to do it. We'd like to see him one of these days get a clean trip."

Lynch will also saddle Spooky Channel, who won multiple handicaps at Turf Paradise and is looking for his first black-type win after moving to Lynch over the summer.

Chad Brown will also saddle two entries in Flavius, a stakes winner in Ireland, and Instilled Regard, winner of the Lecomte Stakes (G3) and third in the Hollywood Derby (G1T) last year. Mike Maker has three entered: Sycamore Stakes (G3T) winner Marzo, Exulting, and Cross Border. Up the Ante, trained by Christophe Clement, completes the field.

Entries: Ft. Lauderdale S. (G2T)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, December 14, 2019, Race 9

• Grade IIT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:00 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Exulting (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	121	Michael J. Maker	12/1
2	2Spooky Channel (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	124	Brian A. Lynch	20/1
3	3Flavius (KY)	Javier Castellano	121	Chad C. Brown	6/1
4	4Instilled Regard (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	121	Chad C. Brown	8/1
5	5Channel Cat (KY)	John R. Velazquez	126	Todd A. Pletcher	3/1
6	6Up the Ante (KY)	Paco Lopez	121	Christophe Clement	6/1
7	7Cross Border (NY)	Luis Saez	121	Michael J. Maker	7/2
8	8Admission Office (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Brian A. Lynch	9/2
9	9Marzo (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	126	Michael J. Maker	10/1