Gunnevera Impresses in Return; Woodward Next
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Gunnevera delivers an easy win Aug. 10 at Gulfstream Park
In his racing return from a nearly 4 1/2-month layoff, Margoth's Gunnevera scored by 6 1/2 lengths in the fourth race Aug. 10 at Gulfstream Park and showed he hasn't lost a step after recovering from a hoof injury.
His connections plan to point the multiple grade 1-placed son of Dialed In to the Woodward Stakes (G1) Sept. 1 at Saratoga Race Course.
Gunnevera, a three-time graded stakes winner, hadn't raced since an eighth-place finish in the $10 million Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) March 31, during which he sustained a nasty hoof injury. The Kentucky-bred 4-year-old was freshened in Ocala, Fla., for two months to give the hoof time to heal before he returned to trainer Antonio Sano's stable at Gulfstream Park West.
"I'm so happy with my horse coming back after having the time off," Sano said. "The rider, Edgard Zayas, said the horse is 100%."
Gunnevera, who was sent to post at 1-9 odds in Friday's five-horse field, trailed the group early before he made an impressive wide run to take the lead leaving the turn into the homestretch. He drew off to a dominating victory in the 1 1/16-mile optional-claiming allowance.
Leitone, the Chilean Derby (G1) winner, finished second after stalking the early pace set by Asterisk and continued on gamely through the stretch under Luca Panici. Millionaire Runner, who pressed the pace under Leonel Reyes, finish third, 2 3/4 lengths behind Leitone.
Gunnevera finished in 1:42.03 and closed impressively off mediocre fractions of :24.58, :48.32, and 1:11.66 through six furlongs.
"At the three-eighths pole, I kind of tapped him on the back, because he was kind of lazy," Zayas said. "I just wanted to make sure he was there, and I tapped him on the back a couple times—one or two times—and after that it was a hand ride. ... He was moving beautiful."
Sano said Gunnevera will do most of his training in Florida before he ships to Saratoga, where he won the 2016 Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) and finished second in the 2017 Travers Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1).
"The horse will work here for the next two weeks and then, maybe Aug. 24 or 25, he will go to Saratoga," Sano said.
A year ago, Gunnevera made a return from a layoff to capture the 1 1/16-mile Tangelo Stakes at Gulfstream in preparation for a start in the Travers, where he finished second behind West Coast and ahead of the three classic winners.
"He likes Saratoga's track," Sano said. "Two races—a first and a second."
The late-running colt also won the $1,000,000 Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes (G3) to cap his juvenile season before going on to win the 2017 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream.
Gunnevera, who capped his 3-year-old season with a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar, finished third in the Jan. 27 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream before venturing to Dubai.