Bradley Keeps Eyes on Prize With Divisidero

Trainer William "Buff" Bradley is well-versed in the art of keeping an old horse around. In 2011 he finally retired 10-year-old Brass Hat, the venerable gelding who earned $2.2 million in 40 starts. In 2014, after two championship seasons, he sent 6-year-old Groupie Doll on to her second career as a broodmare after 23 starts.

The current "big horse" in his barn has not been a study in consistency, but Divisidero rewarded Bradley's patience with glimpses of brilliance throughout his career. Now he's set to return to the grade 1 ranks as the morning-line favorite for the May 6 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1T), a race he won by a neck over returning rival World Approval last year at Churchill Downs—where he is undefeated in two previous starts on Derby Day.

HAMMONDS: Divisidero Edges Clear in Woodford Reserve

A 5-year-old son of Kitten's Joy  , Gunpowder Farms' Divisidero sprang onto the scene just two starts after breaking his maiden at first asking with a victory in the American Turf Stakes (G2T) on Derby Day in 2015. He followed with a victory in the Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park, but went to the sideline after a Belmont Derby Invitational (G1T) seventh in July.

Returning in February of 2016, he hit the board in the Canadian Turf and Appleton stakes (both G3T) before picking up his top-level win, again on the First Saturday in May. He has been winless in four starts since then, and spent more time away from the races after a fifth in the 2016 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Stakes (G1T), but comes off a runner-up finish by a nose in a 1 1/16-mile allowance April 9 on the Keeneland lawn.

"We really thought he probably would like the Keeneland surface," Bradley said. "I thought he could stay on the inside and he did—he waited and made a big run, kind of like he's done at Churchill. I feel like Keeneland and Churchill fit this horse. Some of the bigger racetracks in general do. Gulfstream was a little tight on him. They've got that rail and they move it out so much, that sometimes it's a little tight on a horse that likes to make a run like he does. I also think it's entirely different turf down there. You've got more of a sandy-type turf down there. I think you do have a little more cushion here, because of the root system with the grass, and this time of year helps as well."

While Divisidero spent time on the sideline, Bradley said his issues were minor.

"He's never had anything major, which has been great," the trainer said. "The owners have been very great in listening and giving him all the time in the world to develop and to get laid up during the time he needed. He's had some bone bruising, but he never had any surgeries. In fact, when he left my barn, he went straight to a paddock. It was good for him."

Divisidero kicked off his season with a third in the Jan. 14 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (G2T) before running sixth in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1T).

"Already this year he's run three races, and two of them were winning races," Bradley said. "There was no pace in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap, he was much closer, and he was not able to run his race. Saturday's race looks like it's going to set up well for him. It's a very compeittive field, and I see they made him morning-line favorite, but you can see a lot of the odds aren't very high because of it being so well-matched."

The one-mile Turf Classic includes grade 1 winners Bal a Bali   and Beach Patrol, along with graded stakes winners Kaigun, Flatlined, and Kasaqui—runner-up in the 2016 Arlington Million (G1T)—among others in the field of 12. But Bradley expects a big effort from his contender.

"I think he's doing fabulous," he said. "I think since we got back to Kentucky he's been a little different. I think the cooler weather helped him. He really started bucking and playing coming off the track, and I felt good about that.

"He's got a lot of class, and he's been a very easy horse to train, as long as you listen. You're looking down the road. You don't look at the times you need to turn them out as a disappointment. You look at them as part of the big picture, and that helps you move on to the next step."

Woodford Reserve Turf Classic S. (G1T)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 06, 2017, Race 11

• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $500,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 5:25 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Kasaqui (ARG)	Joe Bravo	120	Ignacio Correas, IV	10/1
2	2Divisidero (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	120	William B. Bradley	4/1
3	3Oscar Nominated (KY)	Mike E. Smith	118	Michael J. Maker	15/1
4	4Conquest Panthera (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Mark E. Casse	8/1
5	5Kaigun (ON)	John R. Velazquez	120	Mark E. Casse	15/1
6	6Bal a Bali (BRZ)	Javier Castellano	122	Richard E. Mandella	6/1
7	7World Approval (FL)	Joel Rosario	120	Mark E. Casse	6/1
8	8Beach Patrol (KY)	Florent Geroux	120	Chad C. Brown	5/1
9	9Enterprising (FL)	Flavien Prat	120	Michael J. Maker	12/1
10	10Flatlined (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	120	Charles L. Dickey	20/1
11	11Can'thelpbelieving (IRE)	Jose L. Ortiz	120	H. Graham Motion	10/1
12	12Ballagh Rocks (KY)	Luis Saez	118	William I. Mott	10/1