Eclipse Acquires Minority Interest in Destin

Twin Creeks Racing Stables April 26 said Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners has acquired a minority interest in Destin, the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) winner and expected starter in the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

Destin, by Giant's Causeway out of the Siberian Summer mare Dream of Summer, is scheduled to put in his final work for the Derby April 30 at Churchill Downs. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Destin worked five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 April 23 at Palm Beach Downs in Florida.

Twin Creeks purchased the colt for $400,000 at the 2014 Keeneland September yearling sale.

"We are excited to partner with Aron (Wellman) and Brian (Spearman) and their racing partners on Destin," said Randy Gullat of Twin Creeks Racing Stables. "Twin Creeks and Eclipse have both been in the same barn with Todd (Pletcher) for a long time, so there is familiarity and a comfort level working with Eclipse. I have great confidence it will be a good team, and we're all now just looking forward to the Kentucky Derby."

"We are honored to team up with Randy (Gullatt) and Steve (Davison) of Twin Creeks to partner on Destin," Eclipse president Aron Wellman said. "The Twin Creeks team and Todd have done an exceptional job of developing and managing Destin. He has exhibited brilliance in his pair of graded stakes wins, and Destin is a fast and progressive colt.

"We are certainly bullish on his prospects for the Kentucky Derby, but equally as excited about the long-term vision we share with Twin Creeks for Destin's racing future. We are proud to be associated with a colt of this caliber."

Destin also won the Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) at Tampa Bay Downs. He ranks 11th on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leader board with 51 points.

In the Tampa Bay Derby, Destin set a track record of 1:42.82 for 1 1/16 miles in defeating Outwork, who returned to win the Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I) at Aqueduct Racetrack.

 

Twin Creeks has been represented by a pair of Kentucky Derby starters, including Mission Impazible   in 2010 and Vinceremos in 2014. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners finished 3rd in the 2014 Kentucky Derby with Danza  .