Vacation Over for Interpatation; Returns in Pan American
Elliot Mavorah’s 6-year-old gelding Interpatation lets his trainer Bobby Barbara know when he feels like racing and when he feels like taking a break.
Like most people, the gelding enjoyed a Florida vacation, but his connections have lured him back to work for Saturday’s $150,000 Pan American Handicap (G3) at Gulfstream Park over one of his favorite turf courses.
The son of Langfuhr’s 36th career start will come almost four months after a ninth-place finish in the W.L. McKnight Handicap (G2) at Calder on Dec. 15. The late-running gelding won just once last year in 12 tries, capturing the $200,000 Riviello President’s Cup at Philadelphia Park on Sept. 15.
“He seems like he does a lot better with a little time between his races,” said Jenny Young Thursday, who has handled Barbara’s string this winter at Gulfstream. “When he won that stakes at Philly he was coming off a similar layoff. He seems happy, and when he’s happy, he runs right (well).”
The layoff this year came after a four-race fall campaign where Interpatation’s performance diminished with each race.
“He was pretty much telling us he wanted a vacation,” said Young. “He puts a few races back-to-back and he starts to say he’s ready for a break. We should all be able to speak up like he does.”
According to Young, fitness shouldn’t be a problem ahead of Saturday’s 1½ miles test since Interpatation keeps himself pretty fit despite a trip to the farm.
“He was galloping in a field the whole time,” she said. “He never lost much (weight), and when we got him back, it took just a couple breezes and he was practically ready then. His last two works were both solid five-eighths and he galloped out strong.”
Tommy Turner, the gelding’s regular jockey through most of his career, including his victory in the 2005 Palm Beach Stakes (G3) here when breaking his maiden, is back at Gulfstream for the final weeks of the season.
“Nobody knows this horse better than Tommy,” said Young. “He was aboard for those breezes and they’re both fit and ready to go.”
Chavez & Castro Lead Remaining Gulfstream Jockeys
The top seven jockeys in the Gulfstream Park rider standings have moved their tack on to either Keeneland in Kentucky, which opens Friday, or Aqueduct in New York with Eibar Coa on top with 75 victories, three more than John Velazquez with 72.
That lead should insure Coa the meet championship although the session continues through Sun. Apr. 20.
Also completing their South Florida winter campaign Florida Derby (G1) weekend were Jose Lezcano, Kent Desormeaux, Edgar Prado, Javier Castellano and Cornelio Velasquez, in that order in the standings.
Jorge Chavez in eighth and Eddie Castro in ninth, with 38 and 37 victories, respectively, will still be in action during the final days of the meet, along with Joe Bravo, 10th on the board with 24 tallies and Manoel Cruz, 11th at 23.
Todd Pletcher leads the trainers’ standings with 24 victories in a bid for a fifth straight Gulfstream title, but he does not have it sealed with Wayne Catalano and Nick Zito only two behind with 22 winners each. Peter Walder, with 20, remains a contender in fourth.
Catalano and Pletcher each have runners entered in two races today (Thursday), but Catalano has three in Saturday and Pletcher none.