Gufo, Family Way Win Gulfstream Park Turf Marathons
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Gufo wins the Pan American Stakes at Gulfstream Park
In his 2022 debut, Gufo rebounded nicely April 2 from a disappointing performance in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T), unleashing a devastating stretch run to capture the Pan American Stakes Presented by Rood & Riddle (G2T) going away at Gulfstream Park.
The Pan American was the second of bookend turf marathons supporting the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa Farms (G1). Family Way won the first, the Orchid Stakes (G3T) for fillies and mares, with a similar performance.
Gufo, a 5-year-old son of Declaration of War out of the Petionville mare Floy , finished 10th in the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar, his only out-of-the-money finish of his career for trainer Christophe Clement. He had not raced since and Clement decided in the interim to dispense with the blinkers he wore through the second half of the 2021 campaign.
With the equipment change, jockey Joel Rosario kept Gufo well off an honest pace, took the overland route into the stretch, and quickly got past the rest of the field. Abaan finished second and Novo Sol , a group 1 competitor in his native land, franked the name of the race with a good, closing third-place finish.
"It was perfect," Clement said of Gufo's Pan American rebound. "He wasn't too far back. When he asked him to quicken on the outside, he was there for him.
"I was not too thrilled with the blinkers in his last two races. Looking back at it, I probably should have changed that earlier. But that's OK. We live and learn.
"It's his first race of the year. Next is the Man o' War and we'll go from there," Clement said, with his son and assistant, Miguel Clement, adding, "We have lots of big races mapped out for him already."
The Man o' War (G1T) at 1 3/8 miles is scheduled for May 14 at Belmont Park. Gufo finished second in the 2021 edition, just a nose back of Channel Cat , and later captured the Sword Dancer (G1T) going 1 1/2 miles over the Saratoga Race Course greensward.
The Pan American win maintains his perfect record on the Gulfstream grass—four wins from four starts.
Family Way Confident in Orchid
In the $150,000 Orchid, Family Way took back to last in a field of six and relaxed nicely for jockey Tyler Gaffalione, then came with a confident rush heading into the stretch, passed them all, and got home first by 1 3/4 lengths.
Harajuku was second, followed by a nose by Beautiful Lover as Family Way finished in the 1 1/2 miles in 2:29.08.
Family Way, an Uncle Mo mare out of the Giant's Causeway mare Susie's Baby , started her career in France, posting two wins from five starts for trainer Henri-Alex Pantall. She won twice after shipping across the Atlantic for her 4-year-old campaign, including a victory in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon in September.
Family Way wins the Orchid Stakes
She finished seventh, beaten four lengths in the E.P. Taylor (G1T) at Woodbine to cap her 2021 season and was second in Gulfstream's The Very One Stakes (G3T) in her 5-year-old debut.
Trainer Brendan Walsh said Family Way has become more settled with age.
"She's been doing fantastic," he said. "Her mind's been good. She's been a bit of a project for us."
In the Orchid, he added, "Tyler said he wanted to get her some cover and as soon as he got someone in front of her, she went to sleep. That was perfect."
Video: Orchid S. (G3T)