Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Gutierrez planning to keep string in Florida after Clasico
MIAMI – Trainer Fausto Gutierrez, who has won the main event on the Clasico Internacional del Caribe program at Gulfstream Park each of the last two years, said he plans to keep a stable of horses in the area to run during the 2019-20 Championship meeting this winter.
Gutierrez sent out Jala Jala and Kukulkan to win the $300,000 Clasico del Caribe for 3-year-olds in 2017 and 2018, respectively, the first two years the Clasico International has been run outside of Latin America or Puerto Rico. Jala Jala returned last year to capture the 1 1/4-mile Copa Confraternidad, a double Gutierrez will attempt to repeat with Kukulkan on Dec. 8.
Gutierrez said he has 16 horses stabled at Palm Meadows, including a dozen 2-yearolds he hopes to have ready to run this winter. He shipped his four contenders for this year’s Clasico Internacional card, including Kukulkan, to Gulfstream Park late last week to prepare for their races.
Kukulkan was the first of the group to work locally, breezing four furlongs in 49.74 seconds on Sunday. Kukulkan remained in the U.S. after posting his 14th consecutive victory in last year’s Clasico. He won one of five subsequent starts, and finished second and third in two stakes.
“Jala Jala was a very good horse, but she was a filly facing males,” said Gutierrez. “She responded, but it was a tough race for her. I think Kukulkan is even better. He has competed in better races. He has gotten bigger, stronger as he’s gotten older and I’m looking forward to him having a very good 5-yearold campaign next season.”
Gutierrez said he plans to return to Mexico for two months following the Caribe International card before returning here on a full-time basis in January and February. He also reported that Jala Jala is in Kentucky, where she was bred to Point Determined after being retired following her fifth-place finish at Gulfstream in the Grade 2 Inside Information last spring.
Along with Kukulkan, Gutierrez will also run Igor in the Copa Confraternidad, Group 1 winner Laika in the Copa Dama del Caribe for 3-year-old fillies, and Lopecitos in the Clasico.
Pletcher drops in
Trainer Todd Pletcher was in town this week to inspect the troops he has stabled at his winter home at Palm Beach Downs, where he said he’ll eventually max out his local stable at around 100 horses.
“We’re not full there yet,” said Pletcher. “We still have some horses to run at Aqueduct, but every few days we’re sending more down,” said Pletcher.
Pletcher said he’s eyeing several stakes during the opening weeks of the Gulfstream Park Championship meet, including the one-mile Smooth Air on Nov. 30 for his promising 2-year-old Fort McHenry.
Pletcher is also looking at the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale with Channel Cat and Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday with Prince Lucky.
Fort McHenry was an easy maiden winner at Gulfstream Park West in his most recent start. Channel Cat exits a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf. Prince Lucky, a two time stakes winner at Gulfstream last winter, could use the Harlan’s Holiday as a springboard to a start in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup.
Chance It under the weather
Chance It, the top juvenile based locally this season, will be forced to skip the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Nov. 30 after missing a scheduled work here Sunday.
“He coughed a couple of times and came down with a mild temperature last week, and as a result he will not be able to make the Jockey Club,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. reported. “The Springboard Mile at Remington is our next option, but planning for that race could be tricky with the quarantine issue they are currently dealing with at that track.”
A horse that tested positive for equine herpesvirus at Remington was euthanized last week and the affected barn is under quarantine.
Chance It has not started since an easy victory in the 1 1/16-mile In Reality Sept. 29.