Exciting Return to Races for Revolutionary

Revolutionary pulls past Falling Sky on Saturday at Gulfstream Park to win his first start in seven months. (Photo by Bob Coglianese/Gulfstream Park)

Making his first start since the 2013 Belmont Stakes, Revolutionary flashed his impressive finishing speed on Saturday at Gulfstream Park to win a one-mile race by a half-length as the overwhelming favorite.

The 2013 Louisiana Derby winner raced in fourth under jockey Javier Castellano early and moved up on the outside on the far turn. Revolutionary surged alongside pacesetter Falling Sky, winner of the 2013 Sam F. Davis Stakes, in the stretch and powered past late under mild urging from Castellano.

The 4-year-old War Pass colt completed one mile in 1:35.07 for trainer Todd Pletcher and owner WinStar Farm.

Revolutionary won one of four starts as a 2-year-old but quickly established himself as a star of the 3-year-old division in early 2013 with visually impressive wins in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes and $1 million Louisiana Derby, a Grade 2 race that serves as one of the top prep races for the Kentucky Derby.

Revolutionary ran well in the Kentucky Derby, finishing willingly for third behind winner Orb and Golden Soul. He then finished fifth in the Belmont Stakes in his final start of the year.

Revolutionary showed no signs of rust in his comeback race and will target the Grade 1 Donn Handicap on Feb. 9 at Gulfstream Park and a possible showdown with 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man.

Grade 1 winner Runup the Colors, by A.P. Indy, is the dam (mother) of Revolutionary. He comes from a prolific family responsible for, among others, 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft.