Abaan, Beautiful Lover Shine on Gulfstream Turf

Handicappers may have been surprised when the speedy Abaan  was outrun for the early lead in the $200,000 W. L. McKnight Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park. Trainer Todd Pletcher wasn't.

"We anticipated he wouldn't be on the lead today," Pletcher said, "but we still felt he could be effective."

As it turned out, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Alex Daigneault's Abaan was as unflustered by that development as his Hall of Fame trainer as the 5-year-old Will Take Charge   gelding was content to follow King Cause  in second before powering to the lead on the final turn and drawing away to a two-length victory Jan. 29 in the 1 1/2-mile turf stakes.

"It was nice to see him prove that he doesn't have to be on the lead," Pletcher said. "It opens up a lot of options."

Those options include rich races in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, though Pletcher also wouldn't mind staying in Florida and Gulfstream, where Abaan won the two-mile H. Allen Jerkens Stakes in front-running fashion  Dec. 24.

Wherever he goes, speed will indeed be the name of Abaan's game, even if he lets a horse or two in front of him early.

"When he went to the far turn, he was pretty authoritative before taking the lead," Pletcher said. "It spread the race open right there."

The victory was the third in a row for the produce of the Tapit   mare Anchorage  and the fourth in five starts since he broke his maiden Sept. 6 at Saratoga Race Course in his sixth try.

"He's come to hand very well. It was just a matter of identifying what he wants to do," Pletcher said.

Sent off as the 3-2 favorite ($5), Abaan and jockey Luis Saez covered the 1 1/2 miles in 2:29.23 on firm turf.

Paradise Farms Corporation and David Staudacher's Temple  rallied from 11th in the field of 12 to take second. The son of Temple City   trained by Mike Maker outfinished Michael Hui, Hooties Racing and WSS Racing's Media Blitz , a Maker stablemate, by three-quarters of a length to secure the place spot.

Bred in Kentucky by Rosilyn Polan, Abaan is a half brother to the grade 3-placed Chip Leader  and the lone stakes winner from nine foals for his dam, who has a City of Light   2-year-old colt and an Omaha Beach   yearling filly. He was bought for $280,000 from his breeder by Shadwell Estate at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and turned in three races for Shadwell before he was acquired by his current connections.

Video: W. L. McKnight S. (G3T)

Beautiful Lover Ekes Out La Prevoyante Score

Trainer Christophe Clement always believed he had a graded stakes winner in Beautiful Lover .

That belief was confirmed Saturday as the combination of some added ground and a perfect ride by Joel Rosario combined to carry Moyglare Stud Farm's 6-year-old Arch  mare to a neck victory in the 1 1/2-mile $175,000 La Prevoyante Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park.

"The distance suited her," Clement said. "She is very much one-paced. She received a dream trip from Joel, which was great. He rode the rail all the way. I always thought she was good enough to win a graded stakes. She did it today and now will become a broodmare. We're all very happy with her."

Back on Dec. 31, the Florida-bred Beautiful Lover finished third behind favored Always Shopping  in the Via Borghese Stakes at 1 3/8 miles on turf, but turned the tables Saturday as she hugged the rail in third while even-money choice Always Shopping set moderate fractions of : 50.50 and 1:16.13 and then tipped out in the stretch to surge past the pacesetter in the final sixteenth and finally break the graded stakes ice after placing at the grade 2 and 3 levels.

"We had a great, great pacemaker in (Always Shopping) and Joel sat right behind her. Everything turned out great. Sometimes when there isn't that much pace you have to get lucky but it turned out right," Clement said.

Final time was 2:30.49 on firm turf as the produce of the Quiet American  mare American Skipper  won for the fifth time in 16 starts. She paid $10.20 to win and lifted her earnings to $464,500.

Clement completed the exacta with Augustin Stable and James Wiggan's Sorrel . The daughter of Dansili  was a head in front of Repole Stable's Always Shopping, an Awesome Again  mare.

The was bought by Moyglare for $650,000 from the Lane's End consignment at the 2021 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale following the death of her original owner, Paul Pompa Jr. Prior to that, she was bought for $475,000 from the Off the Hook consignment by Steve Young, agent, at the 2018 OBS April Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and raced for trainer Chad Brown.

Bred by Thomas Coleman, the half sister to grade 2 winner Zivo  is the eighth of nine foals from American Skipper, who has produced eight winners and two stakes winners.

Video: La Prevoyante S. (G3T)