Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Pinchin may have another good one in Fully Loaded
Two years ago, trainer Jose Pinchin had himself a pretty good 2-year-old around South Florida named Three Rules. All he did was go a perfect 5 for 5 as a juvenile – winning those starts by a combined margin of 25 lengths, no less – including all three legs of the open division of the Florida Sire Series.
At the moment, it’s way too early to tell whether Pinchin has another Three Rules on his hands with the 2-year-old Fully Loaded, an impressive maiden winner at first asking who will be heavily favored when taking on winners for the first time in Friday’s $47,000 allowance feature at Gulfstream Park. The 5 1/2-furlong main event serves as a prep for the $100,000 Dr. Fager Stakes on Aug. 4.
Fully Loaded, a son of Two Step Salsa, was well backed in his debut, going postward the 3-2 favorite against trainer Todd Pletcher’s well regarded Social Paranoia on May 28. Fully Loaded was forwardly placed throughout the fivefurlong dash decided over a good racetrack, edged clear in early stretch, then held off Social Paranoia to register a hard-fought three-quarterlength decision. His final time of 58.48 seconds earned him a 75 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest of any 2-year-old male at Gulfstream this season.
“Obviously, it’s too early to say whether he could be another Three Rules or not, although naturally it would be nice,” said Pinchin, who trains Fully Loaded for the partnership of Rousseau Racing and the Calypso Stable. “But he does remind me a lot of him the way he trains in the morning. He is a very touch-button horse, does everything right, and never gives us any problems. He was well meant from the beginning, has done very well since his first start, and naturally we’re using this race as a prep for the sire series.”
Pinchin’s main concern Friday came after the postposition draw, when Fully Loaded drew the rail in a field of six juveniles.
“I hate the one draw, it always worries me unless you’re going around two turns, then it’s not so bad,” Pinchin said. “Especially since the horse outside of him [Well Defined] has speed. But he’s shown he doesn’t have to be on the lead, so hopefully Edgard [Zayas] will be able to work out a good trip.”
Well Defined may prove the horse to catch coming off a wire-to-wire, 3 3/4-length victory in his only start going 4 1/2 furlongs five weeks ago. Zayas rode both Fully Loaded and Well Defined to their maiden wins, but chose to keep his seat aboard Fully Loaded on Friday, with Luca Panici picking up the mount on Stonehedge homebred Well Defined for trainer Kathleen O’Connell.
Cajun Embers needed three starts to finally win his maiden, but did so in impressive fashion when stretching to five furlongs for the first time, rallying to an easy 3 3/4-length victory after having finished second and fourth in his two previous starts. Trainer Michael Yates said being able to get outside to make one late run, along with the added distance, were the major factors contributing to Cajun Embers’s improved performance.
Nacho Papa, an Arindel homebred by Brethren and easy debut winner for trainer Stanley Gold on May 12, will race with Lasix for the first time Friday and completes the lineup along with Passionate Hachi and Banco Negro.
As for Three Rules, Pinchin reported he has been sent back to the farm for the summer after his latest comeback proved a major disappointment. Three Rules, who has made just three starts since winning the Grade 3 Carry Back a year ago, underwent successful tie-back throat surgery over the winter, but finished fifth and seventh in two starts upon his return. He was beaten 15 lengths as the 9-5 favorite under allowance conditions June 6.
“He ran such a horrible race last time, it was obvious he just wasn’t himself after he returned, so we’re going to give him the whole summer off and bring him back in the fall and try again,” Pinchin said. “When a horse works as well as he did and then runs as bad as he did, it’s a sure indication something is just not right.”
◗ The recently concluded spring meet set new records, with total handle of $334 million up $22 million over the corresponding session in 2017 despite offering six fewer racing programs. The average handle of $6.3 million was up $1 million over the previous year and $2.1 million over the inaugural spring meet in 2015.
“We’re building a strong year-round program with quality and full fields, and both the fans and horseman are supporting the program,” said Bill Badgett, the track’s general manager.