McCauley Quick to Get Back in Gulfstream Park Winners’ Circle
In the 10 years between wins at Gulfstream Park for jockey Herb McCauley, plenty has changed, but the 50-year-old can still count on the skills that won him dozens of major stakes before a broken leg knocked him from the saddle in 1998.
McCauley rallied to take Thursday’s $41,500 allowance feature aboard Farnsworth Stables’ 4-year-old filly Awesome Alexandra for trainer Marty Wolfson in his first ride at Gulfstream since coming out of retirement last fall.
“She ran great, and she had to because her jockey might have needed a race,” said McCauley, who has worked hard to get his weight down for a planned campaign in South Florida.
McCauley has won more than 3,000 races, including 106 graded stakes with highlights in the 1992 Travers Stakes (G1) aboard Thunder Rumble and the 1993 Gulfstream Park Handicap (G1) on Devil His Due.
After breaking his leg in a spill at Monmouth Park in 1998, it took almost four years just to get back on his feet. He did stints as a jockey’s agent and television host before announcing last summer he was making a comeback.
McCauley picked up mounts at the Meadowlands last fall, but hit a plateau with his weight and had to hold off on his Gulfstream return until this week. The victory Thursday indicated McCauley could be headed for the heady days of two decades ago.
“Timing was everything for me today,” he said. “I basically won that race on timing and smarts. I’m close to my best shape, but you can work and work, and still not be in tip-top shape until you ride in a race. It won’t take long now once I’m able to get some races under my belt.”
Mambo Meister Likely to Dance in Holy Bull
The testing allowance races at Gulfstream Park have placed James Cavanaugh and Chris Pallas’s 3-year-old gelding Mambo Meister at a crossroads with the decision to head down the Kentucky Derby (G1) path hinging on a possible start in next Saturday’s $150,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3).
“We’re definitely thinking about it,” said trainer Phil Gleaves Friday morning. “We breezed him seven-eighths for the race the other day and we’ll breeze him again Sunday or Monday and make a final decision then.”
The Kentucky homebred son of King Cugat drilled Tuesday, going seven furlongs in 1:30 2/5, a long breeze to prepare for the 1 3/16 miles Holy Bull, the longest Graded stakes for 3-year-olds in the pre-Derby season.
Mambo Meister raced on grass for his first three starts and then broke his maiden at Calder last November in his first try on dirt. Like most 3-year-olds with big main track wins, the gelding had to see where any Triple Crown aspirations might lead. He’s raced three times in allowance races, losing to quality horses, including eventual Gotham Stakes (G3) winner Visionaire.
“That race turned out to be a bad one for us because it was a one-turn mile and we ended up in a speed duel and it knocked us out for a couple weeks,” said Gleaves. “He’s run decently in two solid fields since then. I think he fits, but he’s got to take the next step.”
Other listed probable/possible for the Holy Bull include Patriot Stable’s Famous Patriot, Herb and Ione Elkins’ Dream Maestro, Richard Brand’s Web Gem, Jack Wall’s Teuton and Off The Hook LLC’s Samba Rooster.
French Vintage Starts for New Connections in Pan American
Four-year-old French Vintage ran one of his career best races last out when fourth in the 11-furlong Mac Diarmida Handicap (G2) on Mar. 16 at Gulfstream Park, and returns in Saturday’s $150,000 Pan American Handicap (G3) going 1½ miles with a new owner and trainer.
French Vintage is a Mecke colt bred in Florida by veteran horseman Joe Pierce, Jr. and longtime partner Henry Lindh. He raced for them through the Mac Diarmida when he was beaten only 1 ½ lengths for it all by Stream of Gold. He was subsequently purchased privately by trainer Phil Serpe for Carl Lizza’s Flying Zee Stable.
“Mr. Lizza is always looking for horses to buy--yearlings, 2-year-olds or older horses that are realistically priced,” said Serpe Friday morning from Palm Meadows. “We’ve only had him about 10 days, but he looks like he can be a nice horse for us and fits with these horses and the distance.”
French Vintage is out of Grecian Flight, a daughter of Cormorant that won $1.3 million for Pierce and Lindh, including the Acorn Stakes (G1). French Vintage has won four of 22 starts and has run well in each of his last three starts at Gulfstream in stakes, finishing fourth each time.
Serpe had Flying Zee Stable’s 6-year-old middle distance turf stakes star Cosmonaut on the Palm Meadows grass course Friday morning to breeze in preparation for his next start in the $300,000 Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) at Keeneland on Apr. 11, a race in which he is expected to face IEAH Stables and partners’ 2007 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner Kip Deville, who also spent the winter at Palm Meadows.