Veteran Runners Return for Mac Diarmida, The Very One

John M.B. O'Connor's Astronaut , a graded stakes winner in both his only two previous tries at the distance, looks to make it three in a row and give trainer Tom Albertrani his third career win in the $200,000 Mac Diarmida (G2T) March 4 at Gulfstream Park.

The 1 3/8-mile Mac Diarmida for 4-year-olds and up on the grass is the eighth of nine stakes, eight graded, worth $1.85 million in purses on a blockbuster 14-race card anchored by the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2).

Following a lengthy layoff, Astronaut returned last fall in the Del Mar Mile (G2T) and was unplaced. Following that race, he ran third in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1T) at odds of 67-1 before springing a 15-1 upset in the Red Smith Stakes (G2T) over Thanksgiving weekend.

"He ran a huge race last time. Actually, his last two races were really good," Albertrani said. "He looked like he really stepped up since he came back from California. He's been training really well. We gave him a little break and freshened him up a little bit and he's been working really well. We're really excited to see him come back and run Saturday."

Albertrani won the Mac Diarmida in 2018 with Sadler's Joy and 2014 with Twilight Eclipse, both retired as multi-millionaires. Astronaut himself is more than halfway to seven figures, having banked $511,860 from 14 starts with three wins and five seconds, including the 2021 San Juan Capistrano (G3T) in his stakes debut.

"He likes to be up close and he's got a lot of stamina to go with it," Albertrani said. "The way he ran in the Red Smith, he got to an easy lead I'd say and had a lot to finish with. He probably could have gone a little longer even, who knows."

Luis Saez is named to ride Astronaut from post 7 in an overflow field of 13.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Alex Daigneault's Abaan  is a two-time stakes winner over the Gulfstream turf, having taken the two-mile H. Allen Jerkens to cap 2021 and the William L. McKnight (G3T) to open 2022. He has gone winless since, running fourth in last year's Mac Diarmida and most recently ninth after being pressured up front Jan. 28 in his McKnight title defense.

A familiar foe for Astronaut will be Master Piece , who closed to be second by a half-length behind the winner in the Del Mar Handicap (G2T) two summers ago. He was purchased privately for a partnership headed by Michael and Jules Iavarone following the 2022 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T), where he ran eighth, for a run in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T) Jan. 28 at Gulfstream.

In the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus Turf, Master Piece found himself trailing the field after encountering some early trouble but rallied to finish ahead of five horses while running seventh, beaten just three lengths by Atone .

"He was far back last time and gave himself too much to do. If he could have gotten a little closer position early on, he might have even gotten closer," Championship Meet leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. "He didn't hit the board or get a piece of it, but we felt like he ran well enough to try this spot. The extra distance should work well for him. I feel like he has a very good chance going into the race."

Already a record three-time Mac Diarmida winner with Zulu Alpha (2019-20) and Temple (2022), trainer Mike Maker entered the trio of Bemma's Boy , Value Engineering , and Wicked Fast .

Transient Eyes Graded Score, Virginia Joy Returns to Action

If her last two races are any indication, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Transient  could be sitting on the first stakes victory of her career in Saturday's $150,000 The Very One Stakes (G3T).

The 1 3/8-mile The Very One is for fillies and mares 4 and up on the grass.

Trained by Joseph, Transient has been narrowly beaten in each of her last two starts, both in graded stakes. She ran third by 1 1/2 lengths after setting the pace in the Maple Leaf Stakes (G3) over Woodbine's all-weather surface last fall, then was beaten a neck when second in the La Prevoyante Stakes (G3T) Jan. 28 at Gulfstream in her 5-year-old debut.

"She's a filly that since we've had her has run well. She tries hard and likes these longer distances," Joseph said. "She's going to need to improve again, but we feel like she could."

Tyler Gaffalione will ride Transient back from post 6 in a field of 10.

Among those standing in Transient's way are the Chad Brown-trained trio of Virginia Joy , Higher Truth , and Mylady . Peter Brant's Virginia Joy was a group 3 winner in her native Germany before coming to the U.S., earning her first domestic stakes victory with a one-length decision in last winter's The Very One. She went on to win the Sheepshead Bay (G2T) and Flower Bowl (G2T) before ending 2022 running eighth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T), her most recent start.

Team Hanley, Jeff Drown, and Michael Ryan's Higher Truth is entered to make just her second start since October 2021 and first since winning a 1 3/8-mile allowance optional claiming last July on the Belmont Park turf.

Michaela Faust's Mylady was a German group 3 winner who ran third by less than a length in the German Oaks (G1) last year before coming to the U.S. In her only domestic start, she placed fifth following a troubled trip in the 1 1/4-mile E.P. Taylor (G1T) in October at Woodbine.

Entries: Mac Diarmida S. (G2T)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 04, 2023, Race 13

• Grade IIT
• 1 3/8m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 5:09 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Highest Honors (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	120	Chad C. Brown	3/1
2	2Master Piece (CHI)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	5/1
3	3Value Proposition (GB)	Leonel Reyes	120	Gedaliah Goodman	30/1
4	4Time for Trouble (KY)	Junior Alvarado	118	Jeff A. Hiles	20/1
5	5Henley's Joy (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	120	Mark E. Casse	30/1
6	6Bemma's Boy (KY)	Miguel Angel Vasquez	120	Michael J. Maker	20/1
7	7Astronaut (KY)	Luis Saez	124	Thomas Albertrani	5/2
8	8Barberini (KY)	Jorge Ruiz	118	Arnaud Delacour	30/1
9	9Shawdyshawdyshawdy (KY)	Paco Lopez	118	Jorge R. Abreu	15/1
10	10Value Engineering (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	120	Michael J. Maker	6/1
11	11Abaan (KY)	Joel Rosario	120	Todd A. Pletcher	8/1
12	12Wicked Fast (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Michael J. Maker	10/1
13	13Marwad (GB)	Javier Castellano	118	Nader Moubarak	10/1