Always Shopping, a stakes winner on turf and dirt, and stablemate Cap de Creus, seeking her first career stakes victory, will line up together for the first time in Saturday's $100,000 Via Borghese at Gulfstream Park.
The 3 1/6-mile Via Borghese for fillies and mares 3 and up on the grass will be the fourth stakes try for Gainesway Stable's Cap de Creus, exiting a fifth in the 1 ½-mile Zagora Oct. 31 over a yielding course at Belmont Park.
A 4-year-old daughter of Tapit, Cap de Creus ran four times during last winter's Championship Meet, running second in a pair of allowances by a half-length combined and finishing eighth in the The Very One (G3) and fourth in the Orchid (G3).
Overall, Cap de Creus has finished third or better in 10 of 18 starts. Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride from Post 4 in a field of nine.
“Cap de Creus has consistently run well and we're trying to get some black type by her name. She's certainly run well enough to deserve it, she just hasn't quite done it,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Always Shopping is coming off a couple of really good efforts and the distance should suit her. I'm happy with both of them.”
Winner of the 2019 Gazelle (G2) last April over Aqueduct's main track, Repole Stable's 4-year-old Always Shopping made her grass debut running fourth in the 1 1/8-mile Treasure Coast June 7 and won the 1 1/16-mile Monroe Sept. 7, both over the Gulfstream turf. She was beaten a head when second in the 1 ½-mile Dowager (G3) last out Oct. 18 at Keeneland.
“We always kind of had [turf] in the back of our mind; we were just kind of looking for the right opportunity,” Pletcher said. “She's a filly that wants a lot of distance and, obviously, there's more opportunities for those types on the turf.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Always Shopping from Post 8.
In a loaded edition of the $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3) featuring Grade 1 winners Firenze Fire and Mind Control and defending champion Diamond Oops, Pletcher will send out Shadwell Stable homebred Haikal.
The seven-furlong Mr. Prospector will be the first start for Haikal since running fifth in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) Feb. 29 for previous trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Haikal joined Pletcher after McLaughlin retired to become jockey agent for Luis Saez, and the 4-year-old colt has been training steadily at Palm Beach Downs for his return.
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