Peter Pan Winner Global Campaign Returns at Gulfstream

A season after foot ailments cut short his 3-year-old year, graded stakes winner Global Campaign will make his first start as a 4-year-old in a $48,000 allowance optional claiming race April 25 at Gulfstream Park.

The nine-horse race, the 11th on a 12-race card, drew four other stakes winners—Majestic Dunhill, Hembree, Big Dollar Bill, and Yorkton—plus three non-stakes winners who are graded-placed—Spinoff, Rare Form, and Borracho.

Global Campaign, a son of Curlin  who captured last year's Peter Pan Stakes (G3) over eventual Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) winner Sir Winston, is unraced since a third-place finish in the July 27 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course. That was one of five starts he made last year, three of which resulted in wins for owners Sagamore Farm and WinStar Farm.

Yet it was a year in which observers were left to wonder what might have been. Triple Crown hopes were dashed after he grabbed a quarter—an injury to the back of the hoof or foot caused by a horse stepping on itself (front foot) or being stepped on from behind—when fifth in the Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2). Then, in the summer, he was scratched from the Ohio Derby (G3) due to another foot problem.

Ultimately, he was sidelined over the second half of 2019 from bone bruising, according to trainer Stanley Hough.

"He's had some old issues, and I think most of them are behind him," he said. "I think he's doing good, and I'm hoping for a good race and a big year."

Global Campaign has breezed consistently at Palm Meadows Training Center since late February, punctuated by a five-furlong bullet breeze in 1:00 April 18. 

Chris Landeros will ride him Saturday in the seven-furlong dirt race, which Hough hopes can prepare the colt for a longer start.

"I hope that he would get a good mile race, mile and a sixteenth, what have you, in his next start," he said. "I hope he's able to move forward and run against the best. I think he's a really talented horse."

The WinStar Farm-bred colt is out of the A.P. Indy mare Globe Trot, making him a half brother to stakes winners Sonic Mule and Bolt d'Oro , the latter a dual grade 1 winner and sire.

Luis Saez, who rode Global Campaign in all of his starts last year, will oppose him Saturday, having accepted the mount on Soldado for trainer Todd Pletcher. Like Global Campaign, the 4-year-old Verrazano colt is 3-for-5, though he has raced strictly in maiden and allowance-level races.

Soldado has an edge in recency over Global Campaign. He has started twice this year at Gulfstream, winning both races.

The other Pletcher starter is Spinoff, who races for the first time since winning an allowance-level race last summer at Saratoga. The runner-up in last year's Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) competed in two legs of the Triple Crown, finishing 18th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and sixth in the Belmont.

Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride.

Soldado is favored at 2-1 on the morning line, followed by Spinoff at 7-2 and the speedy Yorkton at 9-2. Global Campaign is pegged at 6-1 but seems likely to drop from that price.