Gladiator King Goes Gate-to-Wire in Hutcheson Stakes
Image:
Description:
Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Gladiator King wins the Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Thoroughbred Champions Training Center's Gladiator King went gate-to-wire March 23 to win the first graded stakes of his career in the $100,000 Hutcheson Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
A small field of four 3-year-olds contested the Hutcheson, and Gladiator King made short work of them all. Guided by Leonel Reyes, the son of Curlin hustled to the front out of the gate. He maintained a one-length lead through a half-mile as fractions went in :22.17 and :45.11.
Tracking in second, Topper T never managed to threaten Gladiator King, who kicked home at the top of the stretch and widened his advantage to 4 1/2 lengths. The colt crossed the wire a clear four lengths ahead of Federal Case in a final time of 1:10.88.
Topper T was third. In the Loop completed the field 5 3/4 lengths behind the winner. Lutsky was scratched.
Sent off at odds of 12-1, Gladiator King returned $27 to win and $7 to place.
Trained by Jaime Mejia, Gladiator King broke his maiden Oct. 28 at Gulfstream Park West. His only previous stakes win came at the end of his freshman season when he took the Inaugural Stakes Dec. 15 at Tampa Bay Downs. He entered the Hutcheson off an off-the-board finish in the March 2 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream.
Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Gladiator King is out of the graded stakes-winning Hennessy mare Golden Dawn. He was a $195,000 RNA from the consignment of Thoroughbred Champions Training Center to the 2018 Ocala Breeders' Sales June 2-Year-Olds & Horses of Racing Age Sale.
He improved his record to 4-1-1 from 12 starts, with earnings of $170,500.