Barastraight Joins Pan American Picture
Barastraight’s Mac Diarmida Handicap (G2) experience on Mar. 16 at Gulfstream Park should be filed under: ‘Be Careful What You Wish For.’ The 5-year-old ridgling owned by Marc Keller started that day excluded from the 1 3/8 miles turf race but, after scratches, inherited Post 12.
Before the English-bred son of Barathea had even run, trainer Bob Ribaudo was already making plans for Saturday’s $150,000 Pan American Handicap (G3). The longer 1½ miles distance and likely easier post position should help him improve on his 10th-place finish in the Mac Diarmida.
“He made a run there that made things look like they were going to work out,” said Ribaudo Monday of Barastraight’s push to the lead after a mile only to be swallowed up by closers, including winner Stream of Gold. “We already pretty much had this race in mind when that (Mac Diarmida) day started.”
The 47th edition of the Pan American will be the eighth race in the U.S. for Barastraight after starting his career with three straight victories in France, including a Group 3 score in the Prix La Force at Longchamp in April of 2006.
Barastraight has been plagued by wide trips or starting posts in two of his three graded-stakes attempts in the U.S., including a fourth-place finish in the River City Handicap (G3) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 23.
Any Limit Working Her Way Back At Gulfstream
A year after coming within a length of sweeping the three filly and mare sprint division stakes at Gulfstream Park, Joseph V. Shields’ homebred Any Limit is working toward a 2008 debut after a training setback at the start of the year.
“She cut her leg pretty good,” said Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens Monday morning at Gulfstream after sending the 5-year-old mare by Limit Out for a half-mile breeze in 48 2/5. “It was a freak thing where she got cut by a loose shoe or something in the track. It cut her ankle really bad.”
Any Limit won the first two sprint stakes last winter – The First Lady Handicap (G3) and the Hurricane Bertie Handicap (G3) – before coming up short when second in the Shirley Jones Handicap (G2).
It was a promising start to the year with the inaugural $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Monmouth Park in October as the target, but her latest setback continued an unfortunate trend of hiccups that limited Any Limit to just two other races last season.
“We’re just looking to get her ready for the same races as last year,” said Jerkens. “We hope to have her ready to go in about a month.”
Monday’s workout was Any Limit’s third workout this month with the latest drill the second-fastest of the morning among 24 going four furlongs. It was around ‘dogs’ set up protecting the drying-out inner portion of the track.
French Filly Imports Make American Debut in Thursday Feature
Wertheimer et Frere’s Irish-bred Sismix and Edmund Gann and Michel Zerolo’s French-bred America Nova are 4-year-old fillies that haven’t run since last summer in France, and both return to competition Thursday at Gulfstream Park making their North American debut in an ‘a other than’ allowance at 1 1/16 miles on turf.
Jockey Ariel Smith gets the call on Sismix for trainer Todd Pletcher and makes her first start since finishing last of 10 in the Prix Chloe (G1) at Maison-Laffite on July 1. The homebred daughter of Diesis had previously been Group-placed on a couple of occasions, including a neck loss when second in the Prix Penelope (G3) at Saint-Cloud almost year ago.
Jockey Eddie Castro will be aboard America Nova for trainer Marty Wolfson as she makes her first start since finishing fifth in a race on the all-weather track at Deauville on Aug. 8. The daughter of Verglas won a ‘Listed’ stakes as a 2-year-old.
Completing the field of 10 fillies and mares drawn for Thursday’s race are Kenwood Racing’s American Border, Ken Avanzino’s On Lake, Augustin Stable’s Skill, Barry Croft and L & D Farm’s Carambola, Farnsworth Stables’ Awesome Alexandra, N T S Stable’s Rushin’ Rahy, Dorothy Raffa’s Walkinforkisses and Santa Cruz Ranch’s Shankara.
Lois Tapia’s La Blanqueada is entered for ‘main track only.’
Coa Takes Narrow Lead in Gulfstream Standings
Jockey Eibar Coa won two races Sunday at Gulfstream Park and rival John R. Velazquez posted one victory, breaking a tie in the standings going into Monday’s card, and Coa may have sealed the meet title even though the session continues through Sun., Apr. 20.
Coa leads with 73 victories over Velazquez with 72 tallies and Jose Lezcano is well behind the top two in third with 55 victories, followed by Kent Desormeaux fourth at 48, Edgar Prado fifth at 45 and Javier Castellano sixth with 40 tallies.
Velazquez indicated Sunday that it was his last day to ride at Gulfstream this season as he gets ready to return to action at Keeneland and Aqueduct later this week while Coa can increase his lead with seven mounts on Monday’s program, several of them morning line favorites.
On the trainers’ leader board, Todd Pletcher is on top with 24 winners in his bid for a fifth consecutive Gulfstream championship, currently leading by two over Wayne Catalano second at 22, followed closely by Nick Zito third with 21, Peter Walder fourth at 20 and Bill Mott fifth with 19.