JEFF SIEGEL’S GULFSTREAM PARK BLACK BOOK

DECEMBER 5-6, 2015

Sunday, December 6 - The Todd Pletcher barn certainly has hit the ground running.  In the sixth race, debuting juvenile filly DARING BRIDE wound up facing only four rivals in what was originally slated to be a 1 1/16 miles maiden event on turf; with so many scratches and nothing left to take money the daughter of Scat Daddy predictably left at a very short price, 40 cents on the dollar.  She did plenty wrong, but still won without a challenge, and while the final time was unimpressive and the Beyer speed figure (55) shockingly low, there was evidence of good potential.  Breaking slowly and racing somewhat awkwardly entering the first turn, she became rank while taking dirt behind crawling fractions until the field entered the backstretch, at which time she was angled out to be widest of all while quickly moving up to prompt the pace.  The others steadily dropped away and by the time the field hit the mid-point on the turn it was evident that Daring Bride would win as she pleased.  The official margin was just shy of seven lengths but it would have been double digits had she not shied from something inside the sixteenth pole causing her to shift in badly – nearly striking the rail – before being corrected sharply by Johnny V. and in the process losing her best action.  One would assume that she’ll learn a ton from the experience.  This filly is a credit to her sire, as there are no graded stakes winners (and just three listed stakes winners) under her first three dams.  Scat Daddy, in fact, has proven to be one of North America’s most versatile stallions; he gets good colts as well as fillies and his offspring can run short, long, dirt or turf.  

Next Start:  Since Pletcher originally entered her for turf, it would not be surprising if Daring Bride shows up next in a non-winners of two grass router early in 2016.  We would expect a much more professional performance from a filly whose modest speed figure hardly is a true indicator of her natural ability.

Watch race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3VQc_TsOuo

Saturday, December 5 - Common sense tells us not to place too much stock in any off-the-turf, wet track maiden performance no matter how visually impressive it might have been.  But the victory by STRADIVARI in the meet’s first race will make his next start – hopefully under dry conditions – a “must see”.  Given a race when a non-threatening fourth in his debut sprinting at Aqueduct last month, the son of Medaglia d’Oro was entered “main track only” and drew in when the race came off the lawn.  Part of the pace 1-off the rail to the head of the lane, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt found another gear when turned loose and quickly lengthened at will to win by more than 11 lengths with a final sixteenth in six seconds flat.  The Beyer speed figure of 78 was okay, nothing special, but we doubt it does him justice. The fifth foal from the 14-year old high class multiple stakes winning sprinter Bending Strings, Stradivari becomes his dam’s first winner from four previous starters and by himself may very well make up for all of the mare’s previous disappointments.  

Next Start:  This stable prefers to give its young horses at least a few weeks in between races and since there’s no suitable first-level allowance two-turn race listed in the GPX condition book the remainder of this month, Stradivari likely won’t be seen again until after the first of the year.

Watch race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3MM8mQyGP0

Thirty minutes later in the second race Pletcher unveiled another excellent prospect, a Bernardini colt named ZULU, who bravely fought off another well-meant first-timer, SHARP AZTECA (Freud) to register a two length score in a sharp 1:10.06 over a wet track that was listed “good.”  The assigned Beyer number of 81 is solid for the level.  A half-brother to two listed stakes winners but from a dam that was 17-years-old when she foaled him, Zula breezed a furlong in 10 1/5 seconds at Gulfstream Park last March in the Fasig-Tipton 2-year-old in training sale and then brought $900,000 at auction.  Pletcher’s percentage with first-timers is a superb 22% from nearly 300 runners according to the stats from DRF so it wasn’t surprising that Zula justified his 3/5 backing.  First impressions indicate he could be a quality colt; however he possesses the type of quick action that makes him suspect at this stage of his career at distances farther than one mile.  This was legitimate maiden sprint that should prove productive; you should keep close tabs on horses exiting this race.  

Next Start:  As in the case of Stradivari, Zulu likely won’t reappear until after the first of the year, and logically will return in a non-winners of two sprint. 

Watch race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgYCeS-wHdI