Hades Cuts Back to One Turn for Mr. Jordan Handicap

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – A graded-stakes winner around two turns, D J Stable LLC and Robert Cotran’s Hades will cut back to one-turn for Saturday’s $70,000 Mr. Jordan Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

The Mr. Jordan, a one-turn mile handicap for 3-year-olds and up, has been carded as Race 10 on a 12-race program that will be co-headlined by the $200,000 Susan’s Girl in Race 8 and the $200,000 Affirmed in Race 11 in second-leg action of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series for juvenile offspring of accredited Florida stallions.

Hades launched his career with back-to-back victories around one turn at Gulfstream before being sent around two turns for the first time in the 2024 Holy Bull (G3), the 1 1/16-mile Curlin Florida Derby prep that he won by two lengths going away.

The 4-year-old gelded son of Awesome Slew, who went on to finish fifth behind Fierceness in his next start in the 1 1/8-mile Curlin Florida Derby (G1) after being bumped at the start, cut back to a one-turn mile for the Dwyer (G3) at Aqueduct three starts later, finishing second behind Domestic Product, whom he had defeated by two lengths in the Holy Bull.

“Hades is doing great and needs to run in a stake like this. I think cutting back to one-turn will be good for him,” trainer Joe Orseno said.

Hades came off a six-month layoff to lose around one-turn for the first time June 7 in a seven-furlong allowance, in which he raced wide throughout over a sloppy Saratoga track. He came back in his next start July 25 at Gulfstream to offer a most impressive front-running performance to prevail by a head in the 1 1/8-mile Tackleberry Handicap after resisting pressure throughout under Edgard Zayas. The stewards, however, disqualified him and placed him behind Catalytic after deciding that he had drifted out into the second-place finisher.

Hades was a beaten-favorite fourth in his most recent start in the 1 1/16-mile Black Diamond Cat Handicap, in which the 123-pound highweight was shuffled back in the first turn.

“He didn’t get the best of trips last time off of winning and getting taken down,” Orseno said. “I had to change riders because [Zayas] wasn’t here, and he didn’t know him. He’s not a funny horse to ride, but he’s the kind of horse that you’ve got to know him. Now, Edgard is back on him.”

Hades will carry 122 pounds, two fewer than Michael Iavarone, Jules Iavarone and partners’ Steal Sunshine, and one pound less than C2 Racing Stable LLC and partners’ Lure Him In and JC Racing Stable’s Lightning Tones.

“I think Hades is going to run big,” Orseno said.

Bobby DiBona-trained Steal Sunshine, the 2024 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) winner, returns to dirt after going winless in three starts on turf. Sam Wilensky-trained Lure Him In, who won a one-turn mile handicap at Gulfstream in June, returns to Hallandale Beach after finishing a distant fifth in the Pacific Classic (G1) Aug. 30 at Del Mar. Jose Castro-trained Lightning Tones, who rallied from last to win the Black Diamond Cat, cuts back to one turn.

Briannjenn Racing LLC’s Awesome Train, Petal Power Racing Stable’s Big Data, Jean Pierre and Leslie Amestoy’s Holiday Pay, Paola Stable’s Con Compania, and Amy Dunn and Patrick Biancone’s Classic of Course round out the field.