Casse Hoping’ Plan C’ Works for Pappacap
Pletcher Attempts to Add to Florida Derby History
Derby Runners Familiar with Gulfstream
Graphic Detail Set to Make Turf Debut in $100,000 Cutler Bay
Blinkers Off for G1 Winner Gufo in $200,000 Pan American (G2)
Florida Sire Stakes Bonus in Play for Six Saturday
Yoli Mayor to Perform in Flamingo Room

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL - Not long after Pappacap crossed the Gulfstream Park finish line in a debut victory May 14, 2021, trainer Mark Casse had big plans for Karen and George Russell’s Florida homebred.

“After watching some of the horses breaking their maidens in Kentucky and New York – we were taking a small division out to California – I said to the Russells, ‘You know, this horse would do well out in California. I think he could possibly win the Best Pal,’” the Hall of Fame trainer said.

Sure enough, Rustlewood Farm Inc.’s son of Gun Runner followed up his 2 ¾-length romp at Gulfstream with a 4 ¾-length score in the Best Pal (G2) at Del Mar. He went on to finish fourth in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) before concluding his 2-year-old season with second place finishes in the American Pharoah (G1) at Santa Anita and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Del Mar.

Pappacap, however, hasn’t lived up to expectations thus far in his 3-year-old campaign. In a pair of stakes at Fair Grounds, Pappacap disappointed with a third-place finish as the 3-2 favorite in the Lecomte (G3) and an eighth-place finish in the Risen Star (G2).

Casse decided to regroup and brought Pappacap back to his Casse Training Center in Ocala, where the colt has trained forwardly for Saturday’s Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill ‘m’ Dale Farms at Xalapa.

“I’ve trained a lot of horses and we’ve trained almost all of them, at one point or another, at our training center,” Casse said. “I’d say he’s trained as well as any horse I’ve trained [here].”

Casse is hoping Pappacap can turn things around and give him his first Florida Derby win. He saddled Derby runners-up Soup and Sandwich (2021) and State of Honor (2017)

“Plan A worked out well,” Casse said. “Plan B in New Orleans for some reason didn’t work out, so I’m hoping Plan C is better.”

Pletcher Attempts to Add to Florida Derby History

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will attempt to win Saturday’s $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) with Charge It, a son of Tapit who has raced only twice. While you may think it’s a lot to ask such a lightly raced colt, don’t bet against it with Pletcher.

Pletcher, who is the Florida Derby’s all-time leading trainer with six victories, including five over the last eight years, has pulled off this trick before - twice, in consecutive years.

In 2014, Pletcher won the Derby with Constitution, a colt who came into the race off a debut victory Jan. 11 and a victory Feb. 22 in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claimer. The very next year, Pletcher did it again, this time with Materiality, who broke his maiden in January and then won the Islamorada on the main track at 1 1/8 miles.

Going back a little further, Quality Road brought Pletcher to the Derby winner’s circle in 2009 off only three races, one being a victory in the Fountain of Youth (G2).

Derby Runners Familiar with Gulfstream

Nine of the 11 horses entered in Saturday’s Florida Derby broke their maiden at Gulfstream.

From the rail out, Strike Hard broke his maiden Aug. 29, Simplification Oct. 23, Pappacap May 14, Charge It Jan. 8, White Abarrio Sept. 24, Cajun’s Magic July 3, O Captain Aug. 14, Clapton July 24 and Steel Sunshine Dec. 26.

The only two horses who did not break their maiden at Gulfstream are Classic Causeway, who won his debut at Saratoga in September, and King of Truth, who won at Belterra Park in September.

Graphic Detail Set to Make Turf Debut in $100,000 Cutler Bay

OXO Equine’s Triple Crown-nominated Graphic Detail, off the board in back-to-back starts over Gulfstream Park’s main track this winter, is set to make his turf debut in Saturday’s $100,000 Cutler Bay.

The 1 1/16-mile Cutler Bay is among 10 stakes, six graded, worth $2.2 million anchored by the 71st running of the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm at Xalapa, one of the country’s premiere Triple Crown preps.

Graphic Detail, a $320,000 purchase out of Keeneland’s January 2020 mixed sale, was a half-length winner of his unveiling, a six-furlong maiden special weight sprint last November at Belmont Park. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott brought him down to South Florida, where he was fourth to Simplification – program favorite for the Florida Derby – in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man Jan 1.

In his most recent start, Graphic Detail broke a step slow and was outrun early and ran fifth, beating one horse, in the seven-furlong Swale (G3) Feb. 5.

“He won his first out up in New York and ran very well going short, came from off the pace, finished well, and we had rather high hopes for him,” Mott said. “He was disappointing when we ran him back here earlier in the Gulfstream meet. He just didn’t finish up his races either time that we ran him.”

Two of Graphic Detail’s three works since the Swale have come on the grass, giving the connections reasons to try the surface switch. Newly minted Eclipse Award winner Joel Rosario will be aboard from Post 4 in a field of eight.

“We’ve since taken him to the turf course and given him a couple breezes. He looks like he’s enjoyed that. He’s finished up well in his breezes, at least. He’s got a foot on him that probably would lend itself to the turf. He’s got kind of a big, round foot,” Mott said. “We’re just going through the process of elimination. I think trying him on the turf is something that we just have to do to see if we can bring him up to where we want him.”

Mott will also send out Fortin Hill for OXO Equine in the $100,000 Sir Shackleton presented by New Holland, a seven-furlong main track sprint for older horses. Now 6, the son of Mucho Macho Man won three of his first five starts between October 2018 and July 2020, before running 10th in the 2020 Forego (G1), his stakes debut.

Indiana-bred Fortin Hill didn’t race again until March 5, his first start for Mott, running second by a length to Quick Tempo in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream. Jose Ortiz, up for his comeback, gets the return call from Post 1, breaking alongside Quick Tempo in Post 2.

“He doesn’t have that early gate speed, it doesn’t look like,” Mott said. “It looks like there’s going to be somebody that’s going to outfoot him the first quarter of a mile, but hopefully he can get in good position and find running room.”

Mott was pleased both with how Fortin Hill ran and came out of his comeback race.

“He came out well. I thought he tried hard and ran all the way to the wire,” Mott said. “He was closing in on the leaders. Slowly, he was grinding them down. This race happens to be one furlong further, it’s seven-eighths of a mile, he’s got the race under his belt and it seems like he’s bounced back well enough. It’s only four weeks, but hopefully that’s enough time for him to recover from the first one.”

Mott’s other stakes horse on the Florida Derby Day program is Carl Pollard’s 3-year-old filly Mischievous Kiss in the $100,000 Sanibel Island presented by US Foods going 1 1/16 miles on the grass. In her lone start this year, the 2021 Chelsea Flower winner ran third by three lengths to Spendarella in the one-mile Herecomesthebride (G3) March 5, beaten a half-length for second by Grade 3 winner Opalina.

“[She’s] training fine. She had a decent race last time. [She] was well-beaten by the winner and the winner is not back in this race,” Mott said. “She has a good draw again. She had a good draw the other day. She actually had a great trip the other day to finish third. She looked like she was going to be an easy second, but then a horse came and nailed her for second money. If she can get the same ground-saving trip and find her room when she turns for home, she should be a factor in the race.”

Blinkers Off for G1 Winner Gufo in $200,000 Pan American (G2)

Otter Bend Stables’ multiple Grade 1 winner Gufo will race without blinkers for the first time since last summer when he makes his 5-year-old debut in Saturday’s $200,000 Pan American (G2) presented by Rood & Riddle at Gulfstream Park.

The 1 ½-mile Pan American for older horses is the richest of five turf stakes on a 14-race program featuring 10 stakes, six graded, worth $2.2 million anchored by the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa.

Unraced since finishing 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) Nov. 6 at Del Mar – the first off-the-board finish of his 12-race career – Gufo has worn blinkers in each of his last four starts starting with a win in the Grand Couturier last July at Belmont Park.

Next out, Gufo was a determined neck winner of the Sword Dancer (G1) at Saratoga. In his Breeders’ Cup prep, he got bumped at the start but found his way to the front at the five-sixteenths pole before tiring to be third.

“We’re going to take the blinkers off,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “I was very happy with some of his races with the blinkers on last year, but the question mark in his last two races with the blinkers is he was a little more aggressive than what I liked. So, let’s try him without the blinkers. I don’t think he’s 100 percent fit, but I think he’s plenty fit enough to run, and we’ll go from there.”

Joel Rosario, recently honored with his first Eclipse Award as champion rider, will be aboard Gufo for the seventh straight race. They will break from Post 3 in a field of seven.

“He’s a little bit complicated. You have to be careful with the way you hit him, [and] you have to be careful with the way you ride him. He’s 5 years old and he’s getting easier and easier as he’s getting older. Really he’s a fun horse to be around. It’s just the beginning of the year,” Clement said. “It’s a short field. We don’t have to be 15 lengths last. Wherever Joel will be comfortable will be fine. I’m excited to see him run.”

Florida Sire Stakes Bonus in Play for Six Saturday

Six Florida-breds are eligible to earn Florida Sire Stakes money Saturday.

Curlin Florida Derby starters Simplification, Pappacap, Cajun’s Magic and Clapton are eligible for $100,000 (70%-20%-10%) bonus money while Orchid (G3) starters Beautiful Lover and Sister Otoole are eligible for a $25,000 win bonus.

Yoli Mayor to Perform in Flamingo Room

America’s Got Talent finalist and Miami native Yoli Mayor will perform Saturday in the Flamingo Room. The beautiful Flamingo Room is located on Gulfstream’s third floor overlooking the track. There will be a premium buffet and beverages are included.

Tickets are available here: Click here for tickets.