Horse Racing Weekend Preview: A Closer Look at the 2012 Donn Handicap

After previewing several races at Santa Anita last weekend, we return to Gulfstream Park in Florida for this weekend’s Horse Racing preview and we will be taking a closer look at the 2012 Donn Handicap which features Flat Out, the unbeaten speedster Trickmeister and 2011 Preakness winner Shackleford.

The Donn, which carries a purse of $500,000, is (in my opinion) the first of several crucial races in deciding one of a couple year end championships. There have been plenty of Donn winners who went on to win Older Male Champion, and in some cases, Horse of the Year.

The Donn was first run in 1959 and, like most races I preview here, has a long and impressive list of past winners. Gun Bow won it in 1965, the mighty Forego won in it 1974, followed by Foolish Pleasure in 1976, Deputy Minister, who would go on to do great things as a sire (as well as a racehorse), in 1983, the recently deceased Cryptoclearance in 1989, the incomparable Cigar won it in 1995 and 1996, the gorgeous Formal Gold in 1997, and Horse of the Year Skip Away in 1998. More recently, Medaglia d’Oro, Rachel Alexandra’s daddy, won it in 2004, as well as the ill fated Saint Liam in 2005, Horse of the World Invasor in 2007 and Quality Road, who put on a remarkable performance (track record), in 2010.

Four other stakes races are being run on the under card of the Donn as well. The $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes, which is always a good “breeding ground” for future runners, is going to be run as the eighth race on the card. The seven furlong sprint features Thunder Moccasin, who was an impressive racing debut winner and is from the fully loaded Todd Pletcher stable and Ever So Lucky, who is tabbed on several handicappers list as possible Kentucky Derby horse, figure to be the betting favorites in this one.

Race nine on the card is the Suwannee Stakes for fillies and mares on the turf. To me, Denomination and Snow Top Mountain look to be the stand outs in the 1 1/8 mile event.

Then, after the Donn, Gulfstream Park runs the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap. It’s run at one and eighth miles with Boisterous and the speedy Get Stormy as the entrants who will most likely take a lot of money at the betting windows. But I believe Silver Medallion merits a strong look.

 

 

Gulfstream Park – February 11, 2012

Race 10 – 4:45 PM

Donn Handicap (Grade I)

Purse $500,000. For Four Year Olds and Upward

One And One Eighth Miles

 

#	PP	Horse	A/S	Med	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1	Where’s Sterling	5/H	L	J Lezcano	115	N Canani	12/1
2	2	Mission Impazible	5/H	L	J Castellano	117	T A Pletcher	6/1
3	3	Ruler On Ice	4/G	L	R Napravnik	119	K J Breen	6/1
4	4	Redeemed	4/C	L	ES Prado	118	R E Dutrow, Jr.	12/1
5	5	Soaring Empire	5/H	L	J R Leparoux	116	C M Gambolati	10/1
6	6	Al Khali	6/R	L	A Garcia	115	W I Mott	20/1
7	7	Flat Out	6/H	L	A O Solis	121	C L Dickey	5/1
8	8	Trickmeister	5/H	L	R A Dominguez	117	R E Dutrow, Jr.	6/1
9	9	Shackleford	4/C	L	J L Castanon	119	D L Romans	7/2
10	10	Hymn Book	6/G	L	J R Velazquez	116	C R McGaughey III	8/1
11	11	Sangaree	7/H	L	R Maragh	115	K P McLaughlin	10/1

Analysis:

1) Trickmeister- undefeated (5 for 5) speedster takes a big step up in class but has been winning very impressively. He must avoid early speed duals with #2Mission Impazable and my third choice pick. If he does, he might be long gone on the front end and they’ll be no catching him.

2) Flat Out- He failed miserably in his 2012 debut as he finished last but that was on the turf about 3 weeks ago. ”Throw out the turf race,” trainer Scooter Dickey said. “I just needed to get a race into him before the Donn….. And a wet track certainly wouldn’t hurt us”.

Saturday he returns to his preferred surface (dirt) and the 2011 Breeders Cup Classic betting favorite should fire in this spot….big threat to win it all.

3) Shackleford- this hulking winner of the 2011 Preakness draws a tough post in my opinion but evidently his trainer disagrees with me.

“I’m not too concerned about the post,” trainer Dale Romans said. “He’s got speed and I like the fact he can sit outside and kind of track the other speed horses in the field.”

Yes sir and that’s exactly what his strategy should be in this race. If he hooks Trickmeister early, he could dual himself and Trickmeister into submission.

Lastly, I do think this horse has some Budweiser Clydesdale or something in him. If you get a chance, take a good look at him too. He’s built like brick..you know what.

Honorable Mentions:  Redeemed is an uncoupled stable mate to Trickmeister as both come from the Dutrow Jr, barn. This late running son of Include could catch some tiring from runners at a decent price. The same can be said for 2011 Belmont Stakes winner Ruler On Ice and Where’s Sterling. The former closed very well (from 10^th) in the Breeders Cup Classic to be third at 17-1, while the latter can also close ground late too. His eight of 10 career starts being either first or second and has never been worse than second in 4 starts over this surface grabbed my attention….long shot possiblity.

Record: 1-7 = 14%

 

Little Bets N’ Pieces

 

*** Boundary, sire of 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, was euthanized last week at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky due to the infirmities of old age. He was 22. By Danzig, he stood at stud for 11 seasons until he was pensioned in 2005 due to declining fertility.

Boundary was a crack sprinter and loved the six furlong distance. In fact, he ran all but one start at that distance and he never finished off the board in eight lifetime starts.

“He was a nice stallion to be around,” Claiborne farm manager Bradley Purcell said. “The biggest thing I’ll probably remember about Boundary is he was a great breeding stallion. His horses were attractive, they were sound, they were correct, and he could get the classic horse. He proved that in Big Brown.”

 

*** Kentucky Derby hopeful Discreet Dancer, another in a long list of hopefuls in the Todd Plether barn,  missed a scheduled workout Monday morning after spiking a slight fever.

“We’re still 20 days out, so if he were to get over it quickly, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility he could still make it to the Fountain of Youth,” trainer Todd Pletcher told Daily Racing Form.

Discreet Dancer is unbeaten in two starts and has looked very impressive in both. Pletcher also said Algorithms, a powerful winner of the Holy Bull Stakes, also will also be pointed to the Fountain of Youth.

So let me get this straight. Algorthims, Discreet Dancer and Union Rags are all headed to the FOY Stakes??…that, readers, is shaping up to be a great race…..stay tuned.

*** Out west, I’ll Have Another, who won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at 43-1 last weekend, will stay in Southern California and be pointed towards the Santa Anita Derby for his next start, trainer Doug O’Neill told Daily Racing Form.

He  will pass two other prep races (the San Vicente Stakes February 19 and the San Felipe Stakes on March 10) in order to have more time between races. (the Santa Anita Derby will be run on April 7.)

“He ran so well, and my brother Dennis O’Neill, who is an adviser to owner Paul Reddam, and I do believe that if you run a horse back too quick, he can bounce,” O’Neill said

 

*** Speaking of Kentucky Derby hopefuls, remember last week I mentioned how when Bob Baffert speaks? You listen. Well, he seems so be right yet again.

Last week, I mentioned that Baffert mentioned Fed Biz as a horse to watch. He won an allowance race as easy as a horse could and is one good looking animal. I’m sorry this is the only video I could find of the race but take a good look at him after being unsaddled. Good Lord… he is a specimen.

 

*** Over on the tab this past week:

Eldaafer… 4f  :47.4

Get Stormy… 4fT  :48.1

Gladding…6f 1:13.1

Joes Blazing Aaron… 5f 1:00

Joyful Victory… 5f1 :00

Justin Phillip…5f  1:02.4

Shared Property… 5f 1:00.3

Thiskyhasnolimit… 5f 1:01.4

Tres Borrachos… 5f 1:03.4

 

Thanks for reading…..