Gulfstream Park Winter Meet 2005

Eddington Before the Race © Rae Parodi 2005

Eddington Stakes a Claim
By Emily Hufford

The last time Eddington met Rock Hard Ten, they were both chasing a little chestnut comet named Smarty Jones. Now they are staking a claim to the title of "best older horse in America" by winning major stakes races on both coasts. When Rock Hard Ten won the Santa Anita Handicap, Eddington had just won the Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup Handicap over a familiar field of older horses including Zakocity and Seek Gold. While that field was no match for the Santa Anita Handicap field, Eddington, a son of Unbridled, won nicely by 3 1/4 lengths. Pies Prospect ran on for second and Zakocity finished third.

Mark Hennig trains Eddington for Willmott Stables, Inc. The four-year-old colt has always had a lot of promise and last year won the Calder Derby on the turf. Eddington is out of the Chief's Crown mare Fashion Star.

Flying High and Feeling Young
By Emily Hufford

High Fly rejoined the Triple Crown trail with a flashy performance in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. The three-year-old Nick Zito-trainee had won the Aventura Stakes before a troubled finish in the Holy Bull Stakes. The chestnut son of atticustook the Fountain of Youth, which is run over 1 1/8 miles, by 3/4 of a length. He was making his first start for Nick Zito and Jerry Bailey.

The highly-touted Todd Pletcher-trainee Bandini finished second. The son of Fusaichi Pegasus is likely to run in the Florida Derby next, as will not only High Fly but also third place finisher B.B. Best, who set the pace on the inside before tiring to third.

The good horses Park Avenue Ball and Defer finished sixth and seventh, respectively.

High Fly Before the Race © Rae Parodi 2005

Harlington Off the Derby Trail
By Emily Hufford

Regally-bred three-year-old Harlington has been withdrawn from the Derby trail after suffering a wrenched ankle, according to trainer Todd Pletcher. The colt, who is owned by Eugene Melnyk's Melnyk Racing Stables, Inc., will be turned out for 45 days and pointed at the Travers Stakes.

Harlington is a son of Unbridled, who won the 1990 Kentucky Derby, and out of Serena's Song, a legendary figure in her own right. Harlington was purchased for $2.8 million at the 2003 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is a brother to Sophisticat, a group 1 winner, and stakes winner Serena's Tune. He broke his maiden in daring fashion at Aqueduct before taking a Gulfstream Park allowance. He finished sixth with a poor trip in the Louisiana Derby.

Harlington was also one of the choices for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. He closed at 19 - 1.

Saint Liam Wins the Donn
By Emily Hufford

Saint Liam ran down the middle of the Gulfstream Park surface, the same path that Medallist took to victory in the Deputy Minister Handicap, to win the Donn Handicap (gr. I) on Saturday. After hooking up with Roses in May on the backstretch, Saint Liam pulled away from that rival and drew clear to win by 3 3/4 lengths.

The five-year-old son of Saint Ballado was coming off a win in the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs in November.

Roses In May was making his return from a second-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Lone Star Park in October. Eddington ran on to be third, and Seek Gold finished fourth.

Saint Liam is trained by Richard Dutrow, who also trains Sis City, who won the Davona Dale Stakes by a widening sixteen lengths earlier on the Gulfstream card. Saint Liam is owned by Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren Jr. and was ridden by Edgar Prado.

Proud Accolade Wins Hutcheson
By Alex Pfaadt

Proud Accolade, owned by Satish and Anne Sanan's Padua Stable, won the Grade 2 $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes by four and a half lengths on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Proud Accolade, who's previous two starts were less than stellar, overcame traffic trouble on the turn and easily won the 7 1/2 furlong race on the dirt in 1:29 4/5. Saturday marked the first time the Hutcheson was ran at that distance, which proved to benefit the sprinter. Proud Accolade, a Todd Pletcher trainee was ridden to victory by John Velasquez, who had won another stakes earlier in the day for Pletcher, the Old Hat (Gr.III) stakes aboard the filly Maddalena. Overall, Velasquez road 4 winners on today's card, including the filly Sis City who won the Davona Dale (Gr.II) in a 16 length runaway.

Proud Accolade is most known for his win in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes, where he beat fellow Grade 1 stakes winner Afleet Alex. The colt's previous two starts were in the Hollywood Futurity and the Breeders Cup Juvenile, both Grade 1 stakes, in which he finished 5th and 4th in, respectively.

Velasquez had to hold the Proud Accolade back around the 5/16 pole, in 6th and last place, to avoid the early pacesetter, Carson's Bridge who was starting to fade. This proved not to be a problem for the son of Yes It's True-Proud Ciel as Johnny guided him to the far outside where he quickly passed his rivals and went on to his impressive win. In this race he won sans blinkers, which he wore in his previous start, the Hollywood Futurity.

Carson's Bridge set the early fractions, :23 for a quater mile, and Devil at Sea took over for the half mile in :46. Devil at Sea was the leader until the head of the stretch when he was passed by Park Avenue Ball, who came from last to get the lead, but then was in turn passed by the winner. Vicarage, Proud Accolade's stablemate finished 3rd. Defer, the 2nd choice in the field, finished 4th, followed by Devil at Sea. Carson's Bridge was last.

The winner paid $3.60, $2.80 and $2.40. The winner's share of the purse was worth $90,000, which boosted Proud Accolade's earnings to $454,130. Park Avenue Ball paid $6.80 to place and $3.80 to show. Vicarage paid $3.80 to show, as he was not an entrymate with the winner.

Todd Pletcher said Proud Accolade's next start could be the 7 furlong Swale Stakes (Gr. II) or the Fountain of Youth Stakes (Gr. II) at 1 1/18 miles, both at Gulfstream on the dirt, and both will be held on the same day, March 5. Proud Accolade is a Florida bred colt; he was bred in the Sunshine state by Marion Montanari.