Emmanuel Finds Room to Shoot to Canadian Turf Victory

Siena Farm and WinStar Farm’s Emmanuel  finally found room leaving the second turn, and the 4-year-old son of More Than Ready  proved best in the $150,000 Canadian Turf Stakes (G3T) March 4 at Gulfstream Park.

The 6-5 favorite, ridden by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, found himself behind a wall of horses heading into the stretch, but once an opening appeared, Emmanuel shot through and set his sights on stablemate Steady On .

Favored Emmanuel ($4.60) prevailed by a half-length over Steady On, with Fort Washington  another neck back in third. The bay was timed in 1:40.31 over the firm turf course.

"He's doing really well. We're very happy with his two races here at 4," WinStar Farm president and CEO Elliott Walden said. "We learned a lot again today. He was in a bit of traffic trouble but found his way through and kicked well.

"He's a very good colt, a high-quality colt with a big pedigree, so we're excited about the future."

Emmanuel, trained by Todd Pletcher, is by More Than Ready  out of the Hard Spun   mare Hard Cloth . He was a $350,000 purchase by Maverick Racing from the Gainesway consignment to the 2020 September Yearling Sale at Keeneland.

Bred in Kentucky by Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust, Emmanuel is the second foal from Hard Cloth, who is a half sister to grade 1 winners Hawkbill and Free Drop Billy  .

Faith in Humanity Outlasts White Frost in Honey Fox Stakes

Four-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown won the $150,000 Honey Fox Stakes (G3T), though not with the runner the betting public expected.

Rather than Peter Brant's favored Speak of the Devil , Klaravich Stables' Faith in Humanity  was triumphant from Brown, posting a mild upset and returning $12 to win. The Joel Rosario-ridden 4-year-old daughter of Lope de Vega  outlasted a hard-charging White Frost , running a mile on firm turf in 1:34.12.

Princess Theorem  was third, followed by Fast as Flight  in fourth, and Speak of the Devil  in fifth.

Saturday's race was the first of the year for both Speak of the Devil and Faith in Humanity. Last year in her only other year of racing, Faith in Humanity won two of three starts, topped by the Pebbles Stakes (G3T).

Bred in France by Ecurie Des Monceaux and Lordship Stud Limited, she is out of the Fastnet Rock  mare Sharavana . Oceanic Bloodstock bought Faith in Humanity for the equivalent of $283,295 from the Monceaux consignment to the Arqana Deauville September Yearling Sale in 2020.

Danse Macabre Takes Home Herecomesthebride in Gritty Two-Turn Debut 

Elements Racing and NBS Stable's Danse Macabre  scored her first victory in graded company during her first try around two turns in the $200,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3T).

The 3-year-old daughter of Army Mule   passed the wire in 1:37.27 under Adam Beschizza, who also rode the filly to her first stakes victory at Kentucky Downs in the 2022 Untapable Stakes. The Kelsey Danner-trained Danse Macabre ($26.80) improved her record to 3-2-1 from six starts.

Papilio  finished runner-up, with the heavily favored Cairo Consort  in third.

St. Elias Stables bred the victress in Kentucky out of the Blame   mare Sylphide, who has two other foals, including a 2-year-old Liam's Map   filly and a yearling Always Dreaming   filly. The dam was bred back to Army Mule for this year. Danse Macabre was most recently a $55,000 purchase by NBS and Steve Smith from the Tom McCrocklin consignment to the 2022 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training.

Dude N Colorado Captures Colonel Liam

Earlier on the card, Three Diamonds Farm's Dude N Colorado , trained by Pletcher, captured the $200,000 Colonel Liam Stakes, a race named in honor of the now-retired Pletcher-trained two-time Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T).

The victorious 3-year-old son of Uncle Mo   improved to 2-for-4 in taking the one-mile turf test in 1:35.05 under Irad Ortiz Jr. Dude N Colorado ($5.60) had been third in his prior start when racing in the Kitten's Joy Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park.

Webslinger  ran second, followed by Boppy O  in third. 

The winner, bred in Great Britain by St. Elias Stables, is out of the Street Cry  mare Limonar . He made one initial start for St. Elias Stable when third on debut in an Oct. 16 maiden race at Aqueduct Racetrack. He was then purchased at public auction, with bloodstock agent Steve Young, as agent, acquiring him for $90,000 from the 2022 Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale from the WinStar Racing consignment.

Pletcher has trained Dude N Colorado throughout his career.