FL Derby Preps Anchor Jan. 2 Gulfstream Card

A pair of preps for the 2016 Florida Derby (gr. I) anchor five stakes on Gulfstream Park's Jan. 2 card. 

 

The $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes and $100,000 Hutcheson Stakes (gr. III) are the South Florida track's first major 3-year-old races on the 2016 calendar.

 

The Mucho Macho Man is a one-turn mile stakes that attracted 21 nominations, and the Hutcheson is a seven-furlong race that drew 18 nominations.

 

The card also includes $100,000 Old Hat at six furlongs for 3-year-old fillies, and the $100,000 Ginger Brew and $100,000 Dania Beach (gr. IIIT), both 7 1/2 furlongs on turf.

 

Todd Pletcher, on a quest for an unprecedented 13th consecutive championship meet title at Gulfstream, nominated a pair of horses to both the Mucho Macho Man and Hutcheson: Zulu, a dazzling debut winner Dec. 5, and Prospectus, who followed up a sharp debut victory at Gulfstream Park West with a late-closing third in an optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Dec. 12.

 

Zulu, a son of Bernardini  , set a pressured pace on opening day of the championship meet before drawing away by two lengths and completing six furlongs in 1:10 over good track. Prospectus got away from the gate slowly before finding his best stride too late last time out. The son of Uncle Mo   previously won his debut by 1 3/4 lengths after dueling throughout his debut at 5 1/2 furlongs.

 

Pletcher has saddled the winners of the last two runnings of the Florida Derby (set for April 2) with late-developing, lightly raced colts: Constitution   (2014) and Materiality (2015).

 

Trainer Graham Motion, who saddled Animal Kingdom   for a 2011 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum Brands (gr. I) victory, nominated Rafting to the Mucho Macho Man, as well as to the Dania Beach. The son of Tapit  , who broke his maiden on dirt at Saratoga Race Course, captured the Smooth Air Stakes over Gulfstream Park West's main track by 2 1/2 lengths Nov. 28. Runner-up Fellowship and third-place finisher Sumpter have also been nominated.

 

Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Annual Report also nominated to the Mucho Macho Man, and sports graded-stakes credentials. The son of Harlan's Holiday captured the Futurity (gr. II) by 1 1/4 lengths at Belmont Park Oct. 17.

 

Awesome Speed, who captured the James F. Lewis III Stakes at Laurel Park for trainer Alan Goldberg; and John Servis-trained Big Louie D, who followed up a maiden victory with a triumph in the Christopher Elser Memorial Stakes at Parx Racing last time out; also are nominated. Servis saddled Smarty Jones   for victories in the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness (gr. I) Stakes.

 

Joining Zulu and Prospectus on the list of nominees for the Hutcheson is Sheikh of Sheikhs, who captured the Juvenile Dirt Sprint Stakes at Keeneland Oct. 31. The Wesley Ward-trained son of Discreetly Mine   broke his maiden at Saratoga before finishing off the board over a muddy track in the Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) Oct. 3 at Keeneland.

 

Noholdingback Bear, who finished a half-length behind Sheikh of Sheikhs in his second-place Juvenile Dirt Sprint finish, was also nominated to the Hutcheson by trainer Michael De Paulo.

 

Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained Full Salute, a proven stakes competitor who captured the Buffalo Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park West last time out, was nominated to the Hutcheson, as was Buffalo Man runner-up Cat Tree, who came back to capture a Gulfstream Park optional claiming allowance, in which Prospectus was third.

 

Stanley Gold-trained Awesome Banner, who broke the Gulfstream Park track record for 4 1/2 furlongs with a 9 3/4-length debut victory in June, has been nominated for a return to action in the Hutcheson.