Competitive Edge Wins Comeback at Gulfstream
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In his first start since capturing the Hopeful Stakes (gr. I) last summer, Competitive Edge rolled to an 8 1/4-length victory in the $60,000 Tamarac Stakes March 27 at Gulfstream Park to stay unbeaten .
The son of Super Saver was one of last year's leading juveniles on the East Coast before he was sidelined by a hairline fracture to his left foreleg shortly after winning the Hopeful by 5 3/4 lengths in September at Saratoga Race Course. That victory followed his visually impressive 10 1/4-length triumph in his debut there in July.
Competitive Edge showed no signs of rust in his return Friday. He broke alertly in the seven-furlong event and immediately took charge under John Velazquez. Clocking fractions of :22.90 for the quarter-mile and :45.44 for the half, he was chased by the similarly undefeated Mr. Jordan, who was also returning from a layoff. Within only a half length of each other to the far turn, Competitive Edge found another gear and drew off to romp in 1:24.20 on a fast track.
"It was the kind of effort we were hoping for," said Todd Pletcher, who trains the colt for Michael Tabor, Nancy Favreau, and Kathy Psoinos. "I wasn't sure tactically how it was going to play out. It looked like kind of a match race on paper. We didn't want to do anything foolish, but when he kind of put himself in the right spot, it looked like (jockey) Gabriel Saez (aboard Mr. Jordan) was kind of thinking about easing back off of him a little bit, so it worked out well. I think he ran well. He beat a quality horse. It served its purpose."
Mr. Jordan, a son of Kantharos , was making his first start since kicking clear to win the Smooth Air Stakes Nov. 29 at Gulfstream Park West. The gray colt underwent surgery at the end of last year to repair an injured ligament suffered during a December workout.
Pletcher said the Pat Day Mile (gr. III), formerly the Derby Trial, May 2 at Churchill Downs could be the next target for Competitive Edge.
“What we talked about prior to this was the Pat Day Mile as a possibility, which, timing-wise, is good, and it’s a gradual stretch-out, so that’s what we might do,” the trainer said. “I still think he’s a horse that will run farther, but he’s a very laid-back horse, very relaxed.”
WinStar Farm-bred Competitive Edge ($3.40) is from the first crop of Super Saver from Cape Town’s stakes-placed daughter Magdalena's Chase. Bloodstock agents Alex Solis II and Jason Litt bought him for $750,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Florida sale of 2-year-olds in training from consignor Niall Brennan Stables. The $58,200 winner’s share of the Tamarac purse boosted his lifetime bankroll to $297,000.