Mindframe Begins 4YO Season in Gulfstream Park Mile

One of the most exciting 3-year-olds of 2024, Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables' Mindframe , is back in action for his 4-year-old debut March 1 in the the $215,000 Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (G2). He breaks from the rail against eight rivals in the one-turn dirt contest at Gulfstream Park.

The son of Constitution   posted two flashy victories to begin his career before a pair of runner-up finishes to Dornoch   in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and Haskell Stakes (G1) last summer. His season was cut short by bone bruising that pushed him to the sidelines for several months. He returned to the work tab for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher Dec. 27.

"(The bone bruising) set us back for a little bit but he's done really well since then," Pletcher told Gulfstream publicity. "He's a very talented horse and does things very easily. He's had a pretty steady series of breezes. He's just kind of built up from week to week and is coming off a pretty strong couple of five-eighths (works). Hopefully we have him ready enough to run well here and then keep him moving forward for the rest of the year."

A May 13 foal who didn't make his debut until March 30 of his 3-year-old year, Pletcher believes the colt will only continue to improve as he matures. Should he return as a 4-year-old stronger than he left his 3-year-old season, he will be a tough horse to beat Saturday.

"He obviously had a big year last year and accomplished a lot in a short period of time," Pletcher said. "He showed he's one of the most talented of his generation, so we're happy to get him going."

Also happy to get one of their promising horses back going would be the connections of Encino . After a narrow defeat in his career debut, the Nyquist   colt rallied off three consecutive victories that culminated in a 2024 Lexington Stakes (G3) triumph and a place in the Kentucky Derby (G1) starting gate.

The Godolphin homebred would never load into that gate as a soft tissue strain developed that week forced his scratch from the Derby. Given time to recover by trainer Brad Cox, he returned in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claimer at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Jan. 16 and extended his win streak to four. Jockey Luis Saez gets the call for the first time and will pilot from post 3.

As these two 4-year-olds jump back into graded company, they'll have to face the Bobby Dibona-trained Gulfstream veteran Steal Sunshine , who races for Michael and Jules Iavarone, Carrie Brogden, Kevin Pollard, Ed Gorry, and David Menard.

Another son of Constitution, the 6-year-old returns to the one-mile distance where he is 6-for-11 in his career, off a sixth in the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 25.