City Man Relishes Florida Scene in Fort Lauderdale
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson
City Man wins the Fort Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Though City Man has recorded the majority of his victories in or around New York City at either Aqueduct Racetrack or Belmont Park, he is no one-city horse. He is also a graded stakes winner at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and now at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
Racing for the first time outside the Empire State Dec. 31 in the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream, the standout New York-bred showed his versatility, defeating his grade 1-winning stablemate Decorated Invader by 1 1/2 lengths and giving trainer Christophe Clement a 1-2 finish. The winner races for owners Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Peter and Patty Searles.
A further opportunity awaits in South Florida this winter, with co-owner Dean Reeves indicating after the race that the 5-year-old son of Mucho Macho Man is a candidate for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Gulfstream Jan. 28. The Pegasus World Cup Turf is 1 1/8 miles on grass, just like the Fort Lauderdale.
On Saturday he beat the horse that won the last two editions of the Pegasus World Cup Turf in Colonel Liam , who, after stalking the pace came up empty in his first start since March to finish a tired sixth under Irad Ortiz Jr. as the even-money favorite.
"Irad said he flattened out on him a little in the middle of the far turn," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "It's been a while since he's run, and hopefully, he needed the race. He seemed to jog back great and looked great. We'll train as though he'll run in the Pegasus Turf unless he tells me not to."
City Man received a patient ride from Joel Rosario, who placed him in a stalking position in third on the inside, as Winforwithin was sent to the lead with fractions of :23.62, :46.92, and 1:10.11.
Around the second turn, a chasing Decorated Invader pulled alongside the leader two wide, with Colonel Liam not far behind on the outside, now in third. This left City Man with no place to run. But as the field came into the lane, Winforwithin drifted off the rail, giving City man the opening he needed to surge to a length and a half victory. He was timed in 1:46.10 on firm turf for the distance, paying $8.20.
"It was a good trip," Rosario said. "He came out of the gate well so I could get a good position. I was in a good spot. He did the rest after that."
A tight finish ensued for the minor awards, with Decorated Invader gamely grabbing second, just in front of Street Ready in third. Winfromwithin and Good Governance finished in a dead heat for fourth.
The winner, bred by Moonstar Farm out of the City Zip mare City Scamper , recorded his seventh stakes victory in the Fort Lauderdale and his second at the graded level. He lifted his career record to 9-for-26 overall and earnings to $987,120.
"He's a New York-bred, so I gave him a break (in the winter) in the past. But this year, I just thought we had never run in the Pegasus and I told Mr. Reeves, 'Why don't you try to run in the Pegasus?'" Clement said. "It's a beautiful (new) turf course, well done by Gulfstream. They got it right. All the jockeys have been very positive about it, and I'm delighted."
Clement won his second Fort Lauderdale after first taking the race in 2014 with Summer Front .
Purchased for $185,000 from the Off the Hook consignment at the 2019 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, City Man is the lone stakes winner produced from his dam, who has three winners from five foals to race. Her unraced foals include a 2-year-old Hoppertunity colt, a yearling full sister to City Man, and Vino Rosso filly born in 2022.
Video: Ft. Lauderdale S. (G2T)
Stolen Holiday Rallies to Win Suwannee River
The only thing that Stolen Holiday ran off with Saturday was a triumphant finish in the $125,000 Suwannee River Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park.
The 5-year-old daughter of War Front closed out 2022 with New Year's Eve cheer for owner Annette Allen and Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey while earning her second graded stakes win in the one-mile turf race.
Positioned in seventh toward the back of the nine-horse field, Stolen Holiday was nearly five lengths behind early fractions of in :22.85 and the halfway point was reached in :47.08, with Bay Storm confidently leading the charge and Scotish Star and Phantom Vision in second and third, respectively. Launching through the final turn in 1:10.32, Stolen Holiday swung seven wide to the outside under strong encouragement from Junior Alvarado and moved into contention by midstretch.
At the wire, all eyes were on the bay mare who surged forward to take the race for fillies and mares 3 years old and up over the firm Gulfstream turf in 1:34.32 under Junior Alvarado.
Stolen Holiday wins the Suwannee River Stakes at Gulfstream Park
The Ortiz brothers finished 2-3, with Lady Rockstar under Irad Ortiz Jr. in second and Bay Storm under Jose Ortiz holding on for third.
Stolen Holiday ($13.40) improved her record to 5-2-1 from 12 starts and increased her earnings to $320,671. She was a $750,000 purchase by Northshore Bloodstock from the Denali Stud consignment to the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
She is out of the stakes-winning Sadler's Wells mare Silk And Scarlet , who has four winners from six foals to race, including grade 1-winning millionaires Eishin Apollon and Master of Hounds .