Never Surprised Sharp in Tropical Park Derby Victory

Repole Stable's Never Surprised  scored a popular gate-to-wire 6 1/4-length victory Dec. 26 in the $100,000 Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream Park, providing Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher with back-to-back victories in the 1 1/16-mile turf test for 3-year-olds.

Last year, Pletcher sent out Colonel Liam  for a 3 1/2-length Tropical Park Derby score before the son of Liam's Map   triumphed in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T) four weeks later.

While touring the Gulfstream turf course in a solid 1:40.39, Never Surprised also provided jockey Luis Saez with his fourth straight win and fifth victory overall on the 11-race program.

Bet down to 1-2 favoritism on the strength of his 9 1/2-length triumph in the Nov. 26 Gio Ponti Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, Never Surprised never gave Saez an anxious moment after breaking alertly to gain the lead into the first turn. Following half-mile fractions of :23.22 and :46.66, the son of Constitution   opened up on the turn into the homestretch and drew away for a comfortable victory.

"He's a pretty nice horse. I rode him one time before and he was a little bit green, but today he was good. Todd has done an amazing job," Saez said. "He broke from the gate really fast. I was excited about the way he ran today. I had a lot of horse. I didn't have to overdo it. It was an easy race for him."    

Yes This Time  finished second, a nose ahead of Safe Conduct .

Among his four other winning rides, Saez rode Pletcher-trained first-time starter American Icon  for an 8 1/2-length front-running victory in Race 8, a seven-furlong maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds.

"It's an amazing day. My family was here—that's my happiness," Saez said. "It was a great job by my agent (Kiaran McLaughlin) and everybody who is supporting me, giving me those type of horses to ride."

In seven career starts, Never Surprised has four victories, as well as three second-place finishes in graded stakes. He improved his career earnings to $378,960.

Bred in Kentucky by Golden Pedigree out of the unraced Tiznow  mare Tiz Dixie, Never Surprised was a $200,000 purchase by Repole Stable from the Select Sales' consignment to the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He brought $30,000 from Mike Schiano Di Cola from Select's consignment to the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. 

Never Surprised is the first foal out of Tiz Dixie, whose 2-year-old Connect   filly named Ace Girl  is in training in New York with Michelle Nevin and has made two starts in pursuit of her first win. The mare produced a Munnings   colt in 2020 and dropped another April 7.

Bipartisanship Upsets Tropical Park Oaks

Fortune Racing's Bipartisanship  overcame traffic while also benefitting from a fast early pace Sunday at Gulfstream, rallying from far back to prevail in a most eventful running of the $100,000 Tropical Park Oaks.

The 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies saw Bipartisanship, a British-bred daughter of Bated Breath , sent to post at odds of 19-1. The Graham Motion trainee scored by a half-length after jockey Paco Lopez found room between horses in the stretch to record her first stakes victory. Bipartisanship was purchased privately following a third-place finish in a group 3 race in Ireland in July.

Bipartisanship saved ground while racing well behind a lively pace set by multiple graded stakes winner Lady Speightspeare , the 6-5 favorite ridden by Emma-Jayne Wilson, and pressed by Tobys Heart . The pacemakers set fractions of :23 and :46.99 for the first half mile before continuing to do battle on the turn into the homestretch.

Previously undefeated Lady Speightspeare, who captured the Natalma Stakes (G1T) on turf and the Bessarabian (G2) on Tapeta at Woodbine, suddenly jumped tracks and veered five paths to the outside entering the stretch to briefly lose the lead to longshot Mademoiselle Nova , but quickly recovered to regain the advantage in mid-stretch.

The pressured pace and her greenness, however, took its toll on the heavy favorite approaching the wire, when Bipartisanship, who was blocked at the top of the stretch, found room and surged between horses to get the win in 1:40.61 on firm turf. Stunning Finish also made a wide rally to finish second, a neck ahead of Lady Speightspeare.

"I was a little worried at the top of the stretch. It looked like (Lopez) had nowhere to go, but it all worked out. I think she was much the best. She didn't have a very good trip," Motion said.

Motion collected a second Tropical Park Oaks victory after saddling Ultra Brat for a 36-1 upset win in 2016.

Bred by Ebonos Limited out of the winning Oasis Dream  mare Dream Wild , Bipartisanship is the fourth of six foals out of her dam, and the first black-type winner produced by the mare. Dream Wild has a 2-year-old by Postponed named Postmark who has made one start in England, and produced a filly by Postponed in 2021.

Bipartisanship, who broke her maiden Oct. 10 at Laurel Park in her second stateside start, entered Sunday's race off a seventh-place finish in the Nov. 14 Winter Memories Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.

"Last time, (Jevian Toledo) was mad at himself because they kind of slowed the race up and he left her with way too much to do," Motion said. "When she came to me, she was already stakes-placed as a maiden. The day she ran in New York she just walked out of the gate, but she won very impressively at Laurel. She has done things very nicely. She's a nice filly to be around."

Motion has no immediate plans for Bipartisanship's next start.

"I haven't really thought beyond this race," he said. "I was actually a little worried about running today because I thought it was very competitive."

Video: Tropical Park Derby (BT)

Video: Tropical Park Oaks (BT)