60-1 Shot Identifier Delivers Emotional Hal's Hope Win
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson
Marcos Meneses celebrates his Hal's Hope score aboard Identifier at Gulfstream Park
A 60-1 shot making his graded stakes debut provided an emotional victory for his connections March 28 in the $100,000 Hal's Hope Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
Identifier, a 4-year-old son of Creative Cause owned by Gelfenstein Farm, delivered the first graded stakes win in North America for both jockey Marcos Meneses and trainer Oscar Gonzalez.
Meneses rode more than 500 winners, including 2012 Clasico Simon Bolivar (G1) victor Comediante, in Venezuela before venturing to the United States in 2015. Gonzalez saddled Venezuelan runner Guasca to victory in the 2012 Copa Dama del Caribe (G1) in Puerto Rico.
The win brought back old memories for Meneses' agent, Roger Velez, a former jockey who rode Hal's Hope to victories in the 2000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) and Florida Derby (G1) and in the 2002 Crème Fraiche Handicap (G3) and Gulfstream Park Handicap (G1). The Crème Fraiche was renamed for Hal's Hope in 2003.
"It was very special to me," Velez said. "That was my horse."
Identifier was sent off as the second-longest shot in a field of 11 for the 1 1/8-mile Hal's Hope. Coming off a Feb. 1 win by a head in an off-the-turf $45,000 allowance/optional claimer over the same distance at Gulfstream, he trailed early, then powered down the center of the track to reel in front-running favorite Bodexpress.
Last year's Florida Derby runner-up as a maiden and the 2-1 choice in the Hal's Hope, Bodexpress was gunned to the lead by jockey Emisael Jaramillo but was outrun by Rare Form, who shifted over from post 10 to lead through an opening quarter in :23.34. Bodexpress turned up the pressure after a half in :47.24, cruised past the leader through three-quarters in 1:11.04, and turned for home with the advantage.
Meneses, meanwhile, settled Identifier into a rhythm well back while saving ground along the rail midway into the far turn, then swung well wide approaching the stretch, and set down for a drive to the wire, surging by inside the final sixteenth of a mile en route to a one-length victory.
Identifier wins the Hal's Hope Stakes
"I'm very grateful to Mr. Gonzalez and I'm very happy for the horse. He's a good horse," Meneses said. "This race today had a lot of speed. I just waited and waited all the way. I began my race from the three-eighths pole. The horse was perfect."
Identifier returned $123 on a $2 win ticket and completed the distance in 1:50.25 over a fast main track.
Just Whistle, a 24-1 shot, got up late for second over Bodexpress, who held for third. Eye of the Jedi, Prompt, You're to Blame, Sir Anthony, Harvey Wallbanger, American Tattoo, Realm, and Rare Form completed the order of finish.
Bred in Kentucky by Heinz Steinmann out of the Shakespeare mare Can't Catch Kate, Identifier improved his record to four wins and four seconds from 11 starts, with earnings of $168,390. He went through the auction ring three times—first as a $17,000 RNA at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in 2016. He then sold for $30,000 to G.S. Inversiones Hipicas from Hunter Valley Farm's consignment to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, and was an $80,000 purchase by Crawford Farms from Off the Hook's consignment to the 2018 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
Identifier is the lone winner from three starters out of four foals produced by his dam, who has been bred five times to Creative Cause. Her 2019 Creative Cause filly died, and she was bred back to the Airdrie Stud sire for 2020.