Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will double up for Saturday's $75,000 Pulpit at Gulfstream Park with Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Ari Gold and Harrell Ventures LLC's Sendero.
The Pulpit, a 7 ½-furlong turf race for 2-year-olds, will co-headline Saturday's 10-race program with the $75,000 Wait a While, a 7 ½-furlong turf race for juvenile fillies.
Ari Gold is coming off a front-running maiden score at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Aqueduct in his third career start.
“I think that was the kind of performance we've been expecting from him,” Pletcher said. “He seemed to enjoy being up close and on the pace. It was his most professional race so far. He's one that has a lot of talent. I just took him a start or two to get it all figured out.”
The son of Medaglia d'Oro, who was purchased for $250,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale, had finished fourth in his two prior races before graduating with the addition of blinkers.
“He's a big strong colt. He's got a very good physical,” Pletcher said. “I think he's kind of mentally getting it together to go with that big strong physical. Hopefully, he continues to advance.”
Sendero, who is coming off an even fifth-place finish in the Oct. 29 Awad Stakes at Aqueduct, will race with blinkers for the first time in the Pulpit.
“All his races have been good. In a couple of his races, he was a little bit green. That's why we decided to add the blinkers for this,” Pletcher said. “I think that will help him concentrate a little bit.”
The son of City of Light, the 2019 Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) winner, had run twice in turf sprints at Colonial Downs, where he graduated with a victory in the Jamestown Stakes.
Luis Saez has the call on Ari Gold, while Irad Ortiz will ride Sendero.
John Oxley's Lights of Broadway, also a son of City of Light, is scheduled to make his turf debut in the turf following a pair of strong showings on Tapeta. The Mark Casse trainee broke his maiden in a mile-and-70-yard race in which the second and third-place finishers came back to win next time out. He came back to win the mile-and-70-yard Armed Forces in his most recent start.
“He's been consistent. So far, he's been a bit of an overachiever. He's trained just OK. He's run well. We're trying the grass for the first time. His sire has had some success with turf although he never ran on the grass,” Casse said. “We're still trying to figure out how good he is.”
Edwin Gonzalez has the mount aboard the Kentucky-bred colt.
NBS Stable's Anamnestic, who finished second behind Lights of Broadway in his maiden score, has been entered in the Pulpit after graduating on the all-weather surface before closing strongly and somewhat erratically to finish first in the Juvenile Stakes for Florida-breds, only to be disqualified.
Junior Alvarado is scheduled to ride the son Bucchero for the first time.
Palm Beach Racing V LLC's Dangerous Ride, who was awarded the Juvenile victory following Anamnestic's disqualification and who finished fifth behind Lights of Broadway in the Armed Forces, is slated to make his second start on turf. The Carlos David-trained son of Lord Nelson was pinched back and had to be steadied at the start of the July 30 Tyro at Monmouth.
Tyler Gaffalione is named to ride Dangerous Ride for the first time.
Tami Bobo and Lugamo Racing Stable LLC's Congruent, a son of Tapit and a Stormy Atlantic mare, is slated to make his turf debut in his first start since finishing a troubled eighth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland.
The Antonio Sano trainee, who broke his maiden on the main track at Gulfstream in his second career start Aug. 13, was scheduled to make his turf debut in the Oct. 1 Laurel Futurity, which he won over a sloppy Laurel track by 2 ½ lengths.
Edgar Zayas, who was aboard for his maiden score, returns on Congruent, a $350,000 purchase at the OBS March sale.
Maximo and Brumba Waffle Toes round out the field.
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