Bluegrass Singer Sizzles in Mucho Macho Man

A fast pace under strong pressure failed to deter front-running Bluegrass Singer, who shook loose of his rivals in the lane and held sway to the wire in the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park Jan. 3 .



Ridden for the first time by Javier Castellano, the gelded son of Bluegrass Cat   registered his first stakes win in the listed event for trainer Marcus Vitali and owner Crossed Sabres Farm.



Bluegrass Singer ran the one-mile distance in 1:35.83 over a fast track, defeating Ami's Flatter by 1 3/4 lengths as the 2-1 second choice in a field of nine. It was nearly nine lengths farther back to 13-10 favorite Mawthooq in third.



"We had some issues with him that made me feel it was necessary to geld him," Vitali said. "I like to keep them all colts if I can. But we're in the racing game, not the hoping game. He's matured; he's blossomed."



Off a step slowly toward the inside, Bluegrass Singer took a narrow edge over outsider Honest and Juan and Bina while clipping off an opening quarter mile in :23.10 and increasing the tempo through a :44.98 half. Bluegrass Singer maintained a half-length advantage over the stalking Mawthooq after six furlongs in 1:09.39 with the steadily progressing Ami's Flatter closing in from third.



But Bluegrass Singer kicked away in upper stretch to lead by 3 1/2 lengths at the furlong mark while finishing well. Ami's Flatter kept coming through the lane for Luis Contreras to be a clear second at 13-1, while Mawthooq and John Velazquez gave way.



"He didn't break sharp out of the gate but actually he put me in a good spot right away and dictated the pace all the way in the race," Castellano said. "It was very impressive. He went really fast in the beginning, but the way he did it in the last part and kept going and kept digging all the way to the end, I'm very impressed."



Bluegrass Singer posted his second straight win following a front-running 4 3/4-length tally over an allowance/optional claiming field in his final start as a 2-year-old Dec. 17 at Gulfstream. The gray gelding has now three of four starts at the South Florida track.



"It looks like he broke a little awkward," Vitali said. "He ducked in a little bit. He's still a little green. He still hasn't put it all together yet. We'll back off a little bit with him now and move forward. I think if he stays healthy, we'll have some fun with this horse."



As for his next start, the trainer said, "We're bringing him up slow to the two turns. We're trying to prepare him properly, if he is what we think. If not, we're having a lot of fun right now. He's a good horse; he's doing everything right. Time will tell. Everything's a possibility."



Bred in Kentucky by Gaines-Gentry Thoroughbreds and Hardy Thoroughbreds, Bluegrass Singer is out of the unraced Unbridled's Song mare Aguilera. He was purchased for $28,000 by Carolyn R. Vogel from the Crane Thoroughbreds consignment last May at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale.



Carrying 114 pounds, the winner improved his career line to 3-1-2 in seven tries and paid $6.40, $3.80, and $2.60. Ami's Flatter, coming off a debut maiden win at Woodbine Nov. 9 for trainer Josie Carroll, returned $9 and $5.80, completing a $62.60 exacta.



Twotwentyfive A finished fourth, followed by Juan and Bina, Brother Bobo, A. Rod Again, Dekabrist, and Honest.



In another test for 3-year-olds two races earlier at Gulfstream, stalking Barbados took the lead approaching the sixteenth pole and drew off for a three-length score in the $100,000 Spectacular Bid Stakes at odds of 6-1 .



Luis Saez was aboard the Speightstown   colt for new owner Suzanne Stables and trainer Michael Tomlinson. Bred in Kentucky by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds out of the stakes-winning Street Cry (IRE) mare Northern Station, Barbados was a maiden winner by five lengths on a sloppy Keeneland track in his previous start Oct. 16 for WinStar Farm.

Barbados, who paid $14.60 to win, completed the six furlongs in a flashy 1:09.40.



Paul Hanifl bought Barbados for $340,000 from WinStar Racing, agent, at the 2014 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. He was offered as a racing or stallion prospect.



Ready for Rye, the 11-10 favorite in the filed of 10, finished second, 4 1/2 lengths clear of It's Not Me.