Speed Key Ingredient in Fort Lauderdale Stakes

Trying to predict who will be in front during the early stages of the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale Stakes (G2T) could prove to be even more difficult than tabbing the winner of the Dec. 12 race.

Most times, that kind of quandary involves a race without a clear-cut speed horse, but in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile turf stakes at Gulfstream Park, there are a plethora of frontrunners who prefer to be on the lead early.

Look at the past performances of the 10 starters, check out enough 1's in the running lines to build a picket fence around an Ocala farm, and then take your best guess at who will be in front for the first few calls.

Halladay? Factor This? Somelikeithotbrown? Tide of the Sea? Doswell?

Those five plus a few such as Largent, Breaking the Rules, and Delaware who like to be within a couple of lengths of the lead, should supply the fuse for what promises to be an explosive pace scenario that figures, one way or another, to determine who captures a race that looms as an important springboard to the $1 million Pegasus Turf World Cup Invitational (G1T) at Gulfstream Jan. 23.

"This is going to be a tough race. This is a prep with some real teeth to it," said Todd Pletcher, who trains Halladay and Largent, horses with names based on a pair of famous athletes, the late Roy Halladay and Steve Largent. "I think if either one of them were able to perform well in here it would certainly tell us that they belong in the Pegasus." 

Harrell Ventures' Halladay, a 4-year-old son of War Front , was the pacesetter in the Fan Duel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T), leading until the eighth pole, when he dropped back to sixth, 2 1/2 lengths behind the victorious 73-1 longshot Order of Australia.

Pushing the pace from second that Nov. 7 day at Keeneland was Gaining Ground Racing's Factor This, who faded to eighth but already owns three graded stakes wins this year in which he led from the opening quarter-mile to the finish line for trainer Brad Cox.

Winner of the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) two starts back, Halladay will break from post 10. He is 3-for-3 at Gulfstream Park, though none of those starts came in a graded stakes.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Largent has won three of his four career starts at Gulfstream Park, owning a maiden and two allowance wins as well as a head loss earlier this year in an allowance optional claiming test.

The Virginia-bred Into Mischief  gelding is coming off a neck victory in the Bert Allen Stakes at Laurel Park, which followed a runner-up finish in the Lure Stakes at Saratoga Race Course after setting the early pace.

"He's super consistent, always shows up and runs well. He, too, has always liked Gulfstream. He's definitely one that is capable on the day," Pletcher said. "I think as he's matured he's settled a little better, as has Halladay. I think that gives them both the chance of handling the added distance."

Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable's Somelikeithotbrown, drawn inside, was last seen winning the Mohawk Stakes for New York State-breds in frontrunning fashion. In July, the Big Brown  colt won the Bernard Baruch Handicap (G2T) on the front end, with Halladay chasing him and winding up fourth. He is trained by Mike Maker, who won the Pegasus Turf earlier this year with Zulu Alpha.

Maker will also send out Three Diamonds Farm's speedy Tide of the Sea, who will be making his stakes debut after wins in his last two starts.

"We're going to give both of them a shot," Maker said. "It would be great to get back to the Pegasus."

 Allen Stables' Doswell, a 5-year-old Giant's Causeway gelding trained by Barclay Tagg, will also make his first start in a stakes. After he was sidelined for 11 months, Doswell's two 2020 starts have produced maiden and allowance wins in which he led at every call.

Should the pace prove too demanding, that should help Michael Dubb, Nice Guys Stables, and Bethlehem Stables' Delaware, a son of Frankel who was a rallying third for trainer Chad Brown in the mile Artie Schiller Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, and Phipps Stable's Breaking the Rules, who was fourth in both the 1 1/8-mile Knickerbocker Stakes (G2T) and the Lure Stakes in his last two tries for trainer Shug McGaughey.

Calumet Farm's Channel Cat, who makes his first start for Jack Sisterson after earning grade 2 laurels for Pletcher, and Terry Hamilton's Spooky Channel, winner of the 1 1/2-mile William L. McKnight Stakes (G3T) earlier this year at Gulfstream Park, appear late threats in a race where a slow pace should not be an excuse.

Entries: Ft. Lauderdale S. (G2T)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, December 12, 2020, Race 10

• Grade IIT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:40 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Somelikeithotbrown (NY)	Tyler Gaffalione	125	Michael J. Maker	4/1
2	2Delaware (GB)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	120	Chad C. Brown	5/1
3	3Doswell (KY)	Junior Alvarado	120	Barclay Tagg	20/1
4	4Breaking the Rules (KY)	Edgard J. Zayas	120	Claude R. McGaughey III	8/1
5	5Channel Cat (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	120	Jack Sisterson	15/1
6	6Largent (VA)	Paco Lopez	120	Todd A. Pletcher	20/1
7	7Tide of the Sea (KY)	Joe Bravo	120	Michael J. Maker	15/1
8	8Spooky Channel (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	123	Brian A. Lynch	12/1
9	9Factor This (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	125	Brad H. Cox	5/2
10	10Halladay (KY)	Luis Saez	125	Todd A. Pletcher	7/2