Grand Tito Aims to Continue Roll in Pan Am

After registering his biggest win in his previous start, Grand Tito will try for a second straight grade II score when he stretches out to 1 1/2 miles for the first time in the $200,000 Pan American Stakes April 2 on the Gulfstream Park turf.

Grupo 7C Racing Stable's Grand Tito has enjoyed a fine start to his 6-year-old season on the Gulfstream turf, registering a clear victory in an allowance-optional claiming race there Feb. 13 before returning March 5 with a 1 1/4-length win in the $200,000 Mac Diarmida Stakes (gr. IIT). The 1 3/8-mile Mac Diarmida marked the longest race to date for Grand Tito, who secured his most lucrative career win and first grade II victory that day.

LEWYN: Grand Tito Bests Kaigun in Mac Diarmida

Trainer Gustavo Delgado will stretch the son of Candy Ride   out one more furlong Saturday.

"I think that in his other races, the horse was in very good condition and maybe he needed to run in the longer distances. He is a very, very good horse," Delgado said. "He has run some good races in his life and after the last race we are going to keep him running in the longer distances."

Championship Meet-leading rider Javier Castellano will be aboard from post four in the 11-horse field. 

"His last race was very good. He had never run the long distances before and that was the first time. He did so well in the last race that I don't think he will have a problem going the long distances," Delgado said. "He is in very good condition and he's is training very good, and we have the top rider on him. It's all very important."

The field also includes Mac Diarmida runner-up Kaigun, who has finished second in four straight races. The 6-year-old Northern Afleet   gelding also ran second in this year's John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes (gr. IIIT) after closing 2015 with runner-up finishes in grade III turf tests at Aqueduct Racetrack and Gulfstream. Kaigun does boast two previous grade II scores on turf.

Wake Forest, a group III winner in his native Germany, will start for Chad Brown for the first time. Wake Forest will be making his first start since finishing sixth in last year's Arlington Million (gr. IT), when he was trained by Andreas Wohler. Brown also will send out Seeking Alpha, who has won three straight, including two allowance-level wins on the Gulfstream turf.

Montclair, a group III winner in France, will start from the outside in the expected field of 10. Trained by Christophe Clement, Montclair opened his 6-year-old season with a clear victory in an allowance-level race Feb. 3 on the Gulfstream turf.

While Twilight Eclipse won this race in 2013, he is entered main-track-only for this year.