03/16/2011

 HALLANDALE BEACH, FL - Kathy Ritvo, trainer of Risen Star (G3) winner and Kentucky Derby (G1) contender Mucho Macho Man, received a delivery last week from the disco band the Village People – a ‘Macho Woman’ shirt.

According to Mitch Weiss of the Village People’s management team, the band contacted Mucho Macho Man’s owners, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, after learning of the colt’s success and Ritvo’s successful recovery from heart transplant surgery. The band that scored a huge hit in the 1970s with ‘Macho Man’ sent along the shirt with best wishes. Weiss said three of the band members have frequented thoroughbred tracks and watch the Kentucky Derby every year.

“It was a very nice gift,” said Ritvo, who showed off the shirt Wednesday morning outside her barn while Mucho Macho Man grazed contently next to Ritvo’s miniature pony, Roxy.

Ritvo said Mucho Macho Man, second in the Nashua (G2) and Remsen (G2) last year, will work this Saturday at Gulfstream before leaving Wednesday, March 23 for New Orleans and the $1 million Louisiana Derby March 26.

South Florida-Trained Team of Five to Dubai Tuesday Evening

Five stakes horses based in South Florida, four that have run at Gulfstream Park earlier this season, boarded a charter flight out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport early Tuesday evening bound for Dubai in the United Arab Emirartes where they will run in the rich races worth more than $24 million to be run on Dubai World Cup Day, Sat., Mar. 26.

Mitaab bin Abdullah’s 4-year-old Fly Down and Castleton Lyons’ 6-year-old Gio Ponti will run in the $10 million Dubai World Cup (G1). Fly Down finished third behind Blame and Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6 for trainer Nick Zito. In one start this year, the son of Mineshaft finished an even fifth in the $500,000 Donn Handicap (G1) here on Feb. 5.

Trainer Rick Dutrow has a pair of runners on the trip in IEAH Stable’s 5-year-old I Want Revenge and Michael Dubb and partners’ 8-year-old gelding Stradivinsky. I Want Revenge, winner of the 2009 Wood Memorial (G1) at Aqueduct for previous connections, finished a respectable fourth in the Donn, beaten 2 ½ lengths by Giant Oak.

A son of Stephen Got Even, I Want Revenge was making only his third start since the Wood victory and first since August at Monmouth Park when he was third in the Philip H. Iselin Handicap (G3). He will run in the $1 million Godolphin Mile (G1).

Stradivinshy was a $50,000 claim in late May last year at Churchill Downs and won the Jaipur Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park. Dutrow sent him out to score in the $60,000 Gulfstream Turf Sprint here on Jan. 23 in his first start since finishing 13^th of 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G2) at Churchill on Nov. 6. The son of Stravinsky will run in the $1 million Al Quoz Turf Sprint in Dubai.

Finally, 3-year-old Sweet Ducky finished a game second in the $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) behind Dialed In on Jan. 30 for owners Lori and George Hall and trainer Kelly Breen. The son of Pulpit has been sold recently, reportedly to the President of Chechnya and will be the in care of trainer Herman Brown. Sweet Ducky will run in the $2 million UAE Derby (G1).

Pletcher Team To Beat In Friday Allowance Feature

Leading Gulfstream Park trainer Todd Pletcher will have the one-two favorites in Friday’s $66,400 allowance feature at five furlongs on grass if he sends out both Melnyk Racing Stable’s 4-year-old colt Bridgetown and Paul Pompa, Jr.’s 4-year-old filly Rose Catherine.

Bridgetown and Rose Catherine finished fourth and seventh, respectively, in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G2) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6 and Bridgetown has come back this season to score a neck victory in the $75,000 Turf Dash at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 19.

Jockey John R. Velazquez is named on Bridgetown, a son of Eugene Melnyk’s Speightstown, 2004 Eclipse champion sprinter for Pletcher and sire of Rose Catherine as well. Bridgetown finished second in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G2) at Santa Anita, but specialized in turf sprints last year with stakes victories at Saratoga and Monmouth Park before the Breeders’ Cup when he was beaten only 2 ¾ lengths for it all.

Jockey Javier Castellano is named on Rose Catherine as she is set for her first start since the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint when she was beaten only 4 ¼ lengths for it all by Chamberlain Bridge. She had won four straight before that, winning stakes at Monmouth Park, Saratoga and Philadelphia Park.

Trainer Linda Rice also has a pair of turf stakes sprint specialists entered in the field of 10 drawn for Friday’s race with jockey Joe Bravo aboard Everythings Cricket Racing Stable’s 7-year-old mare Ahvee’s Destiny and Alex Solis on 6-year-old gelding Awakino Cat.

Ahvee’s Destiny and Awakino Cat helped Rice win the 2009 training title at Saratoga, each winning turf sprint stakes that summer. Ahvee’s Destiny is a daughter of Rizzi and finished a good third over the course and distance here on Jan. 23 in the Gulfstream Turf Sprint while Awakino Cat, by Stormy Atlantic, is entered to make his first start since winning the Frank Sullivan Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 6 last summer.

If weather condition were to force Friday’s race to the main track, trainer Rick Dutrow has the answer with Paul Pompa, Jr.’s 4-year-old D’Funnybone entered to run ‘main track only’ as he is set for his first start since finishing seventh in the Kings Bishop Stakes (G1) at Saratoga in late August. The son of D’wildcat won both the Hutcheson Stakes (G2) and Swale Stakes (G2) going seven furlongs here early last year.

Completing the field for Friday’s feature are Charles Palombini’s Little Nick, Paco Lopez; Tim Williams’ Pointing North, Elvis Trujillo; Jagger Inc.’s Sneaking Uponyou, Jose Lezcano; Ralph Evans’ Flamin Hot, Alan Garcia; and Team Block’s Amazing Results, J.L. Castanon.