Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Hi Happy can take another step forward in Man o’ War
ELMONT, N.Y. – Hi Happy gave the look of an emerging star in the male turf marathon division when he galloped to a 2 3/4-length victory in the Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream Park six weeks ago.
Saturday, he’ll try to confirm that impression when he heads a field of 10 entered to run 1 3/8 miles in the Grade 1, $700,000 Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park. The Man o’ War, which received a purse boost of $300,000 from its previous running, will go as the final race on an 11-race card that begins at 1:30 p.m. Eastern and includes four other stakes.
Hi Happy, a 6-year-old Argentine-bred son of Pure Prize, has run twice for Todd Pletcher. He finished third behind Heart to Heart in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf at 1 1/8 miles in February, then came back six weeks later to dominate the Pan Am at 1 1/2 miles.
“I thought he ran well first time, closing well, just didn’t quite get up,” Pletcher said. “Looked like the stretch-out was what he was looking for. He’s been a nice horse for us so far. I think he should appreciate the bigger turns here.”
Luis Saez rides Hi Happy from post 7.
In the Pan Am, Hi Happy stalked the pace-setting One Go All Go until midway around the turn. One Go All Go came back to record a front-running victory in the Grade 2 Elkhorn at Keeneland on April 21, and he faces Hi Happy again in the Man o’ War.
Trainer Scooter Dickey said One Go All Go thrives on running and will once again take this field as far as he can under Chris Landeros.
Bigger Picture threw in a rare clunker in the Pan Am, finishing seventh, beaten 6 1/2 lengths. His late-closing style was probably not aided by a Gulfstream Park turf course that was playing to front-end types. The firmness of the course also wasn’t to his liking, according to trainer Mike Maker.
When told rain was in the forecast for Saturday, Maker said: “I’m hoping. That’s his preference.”
With Bigger Picture’s regular rider Jose Ortiz committed to ride Call Provision for Chad Brown, Maker has turned to Kendrick Carmouche, with whom he had good success during the Aqueduct meet. The aggressive Carmouche figures to have Bigger Picture closer to the pace.
“I think he should be able to maintain a stalking position,” Maker said.
Brown entered three in the Man o’ War including Wake Forest, who won this race in 2016. He finished last in this race in 2017. Brown said Wake Forest would run only if the turf course is firm.
Brown said he would prefer firm turf Saturday for Money Multiplier as well. Money Multiplier returns to the U.S. from Qatar where he finished third in a Group 1 stakes on Feb. 24. Prior to that, he was beaten three lengths while finishing seventh in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf.
“Off a layoff this is a tough spot, but he seems to like the distance,” Brown said.
Brown’s third entrant, Call Provision, finished fourth, beaten 1 1/4 lengths by One Go All Go in the Elkhorn, his seasonal debut.
“He needed one,” Brown said. “That was always a prep for this one.”
Call Provision gets in with 116 pounds, eight fewer than co-highweights Bigger Picture and Sadler’s Joy, winner of last year’s Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga.
The late-running Sadler’s Joy was certainly compromised by the speed-favoring nature of the Gulfstream Park turf course when he finished fourth in the Pan Am. Trainer Tom Albertrani is hoping a horse like Scholar Athlete or longshot Catcho En Die could prompt One Go All Go on the front end. Postulation could also be forwardly placed for trainer Edward Graham.
“The last time he was subject to a speed-favoring track, they were not coming back at all,” Albertrani said. “He certainly ran well and made up the ground he usually makes up.”
Prior to the Pan Am, Sadler’s Joy won the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at the same 1 3/8-mile distance as the Man o’ War.