Gulfstream Park Turf and Donn Handicap Results
by Patricia Woo | Feb 8 2010
On Saturday, Feb. 6, two top-notch races at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., were won in completely opposite fashion. While Court Vision was victorious in the Gulfstream Park Turf via a disqualification, Quality Road showed he was behind his Breeders' Cup Classic loading gate difficulties with a tremendous going-away win in the Donn Handicap.
In the Gulfstream Park Turf, a $300,000 Grade 1 race for 4-year-olds and up, trainer Todd Pletcher thought he had a winner in Take the Points, a 4-year-old son of Even the Score who won two consecutive Grade 1 races in 2009. During the race, Take the Points, with Edgar Prado aboard, stalked just off the pace behind Le Grand Cru before gaining ground in the stretch. Yate's Black Cat attempted to squeeze between the two horses but failed as Take the Points drifted inward, causing Yate's Black Cat to stumble and interfere with Le Grand Cru. From there, Take the Points took the lead and appeared to win the race while the duo of Court Vision and Robby Albarado got up for second place and France-bred Never on Sunday came in third.
But after a steward's inquiry, it was ruled that Take the Points had been the cause of the interference and he was bumped to fifth place. The disqualification meant that the Richard Dutrow, Jr.,-trained Court Vision, a 5-year-old son of Gulch, claimed his second career Grade 1 victory. He came into the Gulfstream Park Turf off a fourth-place finish in the $2M Breeders' Cup Mile on Nov. 7; the win improved his career race record to 20-7-2-4 and $1,777,430.
Todd Pletcher had much more luck in the Donn Handicap with Quality Road. Picking up right where he left off in 2009 – winning the $100,000 Gr. 3 Hal's Hope Handicap at Gulfstream Park - Quality Road was much the best in the $500,000 Gr. 1 Donn Handicap over the same track. This 1 1/8-mile race for 4-year-olds had several worthy rivals: It included Grade 2 winner Dry Martini, Grade 3 winner Duke of Mischief and speedy Past the Point. But jockey John Velazquez set his mount up perfectly for a flawless ride. After breaking first from the gate, Quality Road settled easily behind pacesetter Past the Point and remained there till the final turn. Once there, the 4-year-old son of Elusive Quality made a powerful move and simply ran away with the race. His margin of victory was a history-making 12 ¾-length victory over his nearest foe, Dry Martini. Not only that, Quality Road set a personal best for the 1 1/8-mile distance: 1:47.49.
Delightful Kiss, Mambo Meister, Helsinki, Past the Point, Kiss the Kid, Duke of Mischief and Dubai Gold rounded out the order of finish, but they were no match for the odds-on favorite.
Trainer Todd Pletcher was pleased with the effort: "He's been training great, and he's doing very well. Everything's gone according to plan."
With this win, Quality Road moves to 6-3-2-1 and $947,030 in career earnings.
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