Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Gotta Go back from long break
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The last time Gotta Go was seen locally, at this time last year, he was on the Kentucky Derby trail, a dream that ended following a sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and an 11th-place effort in the Blue Grass.
On Sunday, Gotta Go returns to Gulfstream Park to kick off what trainer Ian Wilkes hopes will be a successful 4-year-old campaign. He will be turning back to six furlongs and facing six rivals in the 12th race, the second and best of two consecutive allowance races on the 13-race card.
Gotta Go was a stakes winner at 2 and ran second in the seven-furlong Swale here last winter prior to his disappointing outings in the Fountain of Youth and Blue Grass. A son of Shanghai Bobby, Gotta Go would start just once more on the year, finishing a tiring sixth in the Grade 3 Peter Pan last May before going to the sidelines.
“He started getting sick on me last year. In fact, that may have been the reason for his form deteriorating like it did at the end there, so we just decided to regroup and give him the time off,” Wilkes said. “He’s been training well, but he’s probably not 100 percent ready to go just yet. We needed to get a race to knock some of the cobwebs off, sharpen him up, and get him back into the swing of racing again, and this is the one I found. Eventually, I hope to stretch him back around two turns, and I also wouldn’t mind trying him on turf sometime down the road.”
Timber Ghost also is coming off a layoff, having been idle since finishing second under similar conditions in his 3-yearold finale on Nov. 21 at Aqueduct. The Stronach Stables homebred had captured his two previous starts, posting a 95 Beyer Speed Figure in winning his first-level allowance condition going seven furlongs early last fall at Belmont Park.
Impact Player is the likely favorite and one to beat in the main event after returning from a 10-month layoff to finish third, beaten a neck, here Jan. 20 for trainer Todd Pletcher.
Summer stakes slate released
The Gulfstream Park summer stakes schedule has been released and will again be highlighted by the Summit of Speed, featuring the Grade 2 Princess Rooney and Grade 3 Smile Sprint on June 29.
The tradition-rich, $1.4 million Florida Sire Stakes also return with the two finales, the $400,000 In Reality and $400,000 My Dear Girl Stakes, on Sept. 29.
The stakes program will be worth $3.78 million, with the average daily purse schedule for the four-day race weeks set at $315,000 and an additional $1 million in incentive awards set aside for 2-year-old races to begin in April. Management also announced that throughout the meet, the fifthto last-place finishers would be awarded a stipend of $500 or $750 each, depending on the purse of the race.
“The summer racing season at Gulfstream has grown every year, and we’re looking forward to our best summer season ever,” said Bill Badgett, Gulfstream’s general manager. “With horsemen supporting our product and more horses being stabled in South Florida year-round, we will continue growing our product and working with all our partners.”
Badgett was referring to the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, both of which help fund the lucrative summer meet.
The summer meet runs April 4 through Sept. 29.
◗ Horologist returned to allowance company and to the winner’s circle Friday, holding off Bella Ciao to capture the card’s $51,000 main event, with the regally bred Graceful Princess finishing a tiring third as the 2-5 favorite. Horologist ($17.40) was stakes-placed twice earlier in the meet and was exiting the Grade 3 Forward Gal, having finished an even fifth in the seven-furlong fixture.
Joe Bravo rode Horologist, a daughter of Gemologist, for Theres a Chance Stable and trainer John Mazza.
◗ Leading jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. padded his advantage on Thursday when riding three consecutive winners – Papa’s Girl ($6.60), Julia’s Kitty ($4.20), and Uhtred ($19), a promising first-time starter trained by Christophe Clement. Ortiz will begin serving a five-day suspension Wednesday.
Paco Lopez also posted a hat trick Thursday to give him four victories in his first two days back from a 30-day suspension.
Gulfstream’s strong jockey colony will get even deeper next week, with Joel Rosario coming here for the remainder of the championship meet due to the temporary suspension of racing at Santa Anita, where he is the leading rider with 51 wins during the winter meet.
◗ With daylight saving time beginning Sunday, there will be a first-post change here starting next week. Weekday racing will have a first post of 1:15 p.m. Eastern, with Saturday and Sunday cards to begin at 12:45 p.m. Post time this Sunday will remain at noon.