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Papetu Returns With Win In Carry Back At Gulfstream

Magic Stables LLC's Papetu fired off the layoff to win Saturday's $75,000 Carry Back at Gulfstream Park, victorious in his first start since finishing off the board in the March 27 Grade 1 Florida Derby.

The Carry Back, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds, headlined a 13-race program that also featured Competitive Speed's return to winning form in the $60,000 Hallandale Beach, an overnight handicap for 3-year-old fillies.

Papetu ($9.40) ran seven furlongs in 1:09.35 to prevail by 1 ¼ lengths under Leonel Reyes, who was also aboard Competitive Speed.

The son of Dialed In had earned his way into the Florida Derby with a runner-up finish in the Mucho Macho Man and a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth during the Championship Meet.

Papetu broke well from his far outside post position and settled several lengths behind the early pace, set by Moonlite Strike and stalked by Real Talk on the rail and Lauda Speed on the outside. Moonlite Strike, who captured the Roar Stakes in his most recent start, set fractions of :22.53 for the first quarter and :44.76 seconds for the first half mile, as Papetu made his way into contention on the turn into the homestretch.

Real Talk made a strong move to take the lead at the top of the stretch under Samy Camacho but proved no match for the wide stretch drive of Papetu, who claimed his first stakes victory.

“He ran a good race. He was training very good. I know that he wasn't 100 percent, but we had to start somewhere,” trained Antonio Sano said. “We would like to run him at Saratoga in August.”

Papetu was impressive while winning his first two starts of his career last year at Gulfstream before venturing to Saratoga to finish sixth in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special and fifth in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes. The Kentucky-bred colt was competitive with the top 3-year-olds during the Championship Meet before enduring a five-wide trip from his far-outside post position and finishing seventh.

In the Carry Back, Real Talk finished second, three-quarters of a length ahead of a tiring Moonlite Strike.

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Greatest Honour Has Final Tune-Up For Fountain Of Youth

Courtlandt Farms' Greatest Honour breezed an easy half-mile at Payson Park In Indiantown, Fla., on Sunday morning in preparation for a highly anticipated start in Saturday's $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

The 3-year-old Tapit colt who captured the Jan. 30 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream by 5 ¾ lengths, was timed in 51.20 seconds in his final work for the 1 1/16-mile major prep for the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill n' Dale at Xalapa March 27. He worked in company with Or'effice on his outside.

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey is hoping that Greatest Honour will follow the example set by Orb, whom he saddled for victories in the Fountain of Youth, Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby (G1) in 2013.

Courtlandt Farms' homebred colt launched his career with a pair of strong closing third-place finishes in maiden special weight sprints at Saratoga and Belmont before losing a photo finish in his first trip around two turns at Aqueduct and completing his juvenile season with his 1 1/16-mile maiden breaker at Gulfstream.

McGaughey also sent Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm's Performer to the track for a half-mile breeze in 49.40 seconds in preparation for a start in the $200,000 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2), one of nine stakes on Saturday's card. Performer is coming off a victory in the Fred W. Hooper in his 2021 debut at Gulfstream.

Rodolphe Brisset-trained Tarantino, who finished second behind Greatest Honour and 3 ¾ lengths clear of third-place finisher Prime Factor in the Holy Bull, breezed a half-mile in 49.45 seconds Sunday morning at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

Antonio Sano-trained Papetu, who finished fourth in the Holy Bull, breezed five furlongs in 1:01:20 Sunday morning at Gulfstream Park West in preparation for a return in the Fountain of Youth.

“It was very good,” said Sano, who saddled Gunnevera for a victory in the 2017 Fountain of Youth. “It was a very easy work.”

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Trio Of Graded Stakes Winners Top Nominees For Jan. 30 Holy Bull Stakes

Grade 2 winner Mutasaabeq, who captured the Mucho Macho Man Jan. 2 in his season debut, and Grade 3 winners Pickin' Time and Sittin On Go are among 22 sophomores nominated to the $200,000 Holy Bull (G3) Saturday, Jan. 30 at Gulfstream Park.

The 30th running of the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull is the next step for 3-year-olds on Gulfstream's road to the March 28 Florida Derby (G1), and headlines a program featuring five graded-stakes worth $600,000 in purses.

Shadwell Stable's Mutasaabeq was a popular 1 ½-length winner of the one-mile Mucho Macho Man, his return to the main track after winning the 1 1/16-mile Bourbon (G2) on grass and finishing 10th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). The next four horses that finished behind him – Papetu, Awesome Gerry, Pickin' Time and Ultimate Badger – are also nominated to the Holy Bull.

John Bowers Jr.'s New Jersey homebred Pickin' Time won the Smoke Glacken at Monmouth Park and Nashua (G3) at Aqueduct in back-to-back starts last fall before a pair of fourth-place finishes in the 1 1/8-mile Remsen (G2) Dec. 5 and the Mucho Macho Man, where he wound up beaten 11 ¼ lengths after a troubled start.

Albaugh Family Stables' Sittin On Go has been training forwardly at Gulfstream for trainer Dale Romans ahead of his 3-year-old debut. Winner of his first two career stats in Kentucky, including the Iroquois (G3), before finishing ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and sixth in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), a race where Romans-trained stablemate Smiley Sobotka and fellow Holy Bull nominee ran second by less than a length.

Slam Dunk Racing's Drain the Clock, Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained stablemate of Awesome Gerry, exits a 7 ½-length romp as the favorite in the six-furlong Limehouse Jan. 2 at Gulfstream. The Maclean's Music colt has won all three races he has finished, losing his rider when the irons broke in the Jean Laffite Nov. 30 at Delta Downs.

Championship Meet-leading trainer Todd Pletcher nominated five horses including Remsen (G2) runner-up Known Agenda and recent Gulfstream maiden winners Amount, Donegal Bay and Prime Factor. Also among nominees are Capo Kane, winner of the Jan. 1 Jerome at Aqueduct; and Gulfstream maiden winners Greatest Honour, Jiraifales, Lucky Law, Simovitch and Willy Boi, the latter improving to 2-0 with a Florida-bred allowance victory Jan. 7.

Amount, Awesome Gerry, Drain the Clock, Papetu, Sittin On Go, Smiley Sobotka, Ultimate Badger and Willy Boi are also among 22 nominees to the $100,000 Claiborne Farm Swale for 3-year-olds sprinting seven furlongs, along with Competitive Speed, winner of the 6 ½-furlong Glitter Woman Jan. 2 at Gulfstream; Hot Blooded, winner of the one-mile Proud Man on the Gulfstream turf last summer; and Poppy's Pride, a winner of three consecutive stakes and four races overall.

Along with being nominated to the Swale, John Minchello's Competitive Speed is among 16 3-year-old filly nominees to the $100,000 Forward Gal, also contested at seven furlongs. She is joined by Gulf Coast, half-length winner of the one-mile Cash Run Jan. 1 at Gulfstream; Shea D Summer, fourth in the Cash Run after winning the Juvenile Fillies Sprint Nov. 14 at Gulfstream Park West; Gasparilla winner Adios Trippi; and Gone to Cabo and Dial to Win, respectively third and fifth in the Glitter Woman.

Rounding out the stakes are a pair of $100,000 turf events for 3-year-olds – the Kitten's Joy (G3) led by stakes winners Kentucky Pharoah, Hot Blooded, Never Surprised and Omaha City, and the Sweetest Chant (G3) for fillies featuring stakes winners Con Lima, Dirty Dangle and Gulf Coast.

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From Turf To Dirt: Mutasaabeq Shows Versatility With Mucho Macho Man Victory

Shadwell Stable's Mutasaabeq made a successful transition from turf back to dirt in Saturday's $100,000 Mucho Macho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., establishing himself as a candidate for the 2021 Triple Crown.

The Mucho Macho Man, a mile stakes for 3-year-olds that headlined an 11-race program with five stakes, was the first stop on the Road to the Florida Derby (G1).

Mutasaabeq, who debuted with a victory over Saratoga's main track in August, was making his first start since finishing off-the-board in the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Keeneland.

“We've been targeting this. We're glad he responded,” trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Mutasaabeq, the even-money favorite in a field of 10, broke well from the gate to obtain a close stalking position behind pacesetter Awesome Gerry along the backstretch. The son of Into Mischief continued to chase the pacesetter leaving the turn into the homestretch after fractions of 23.20 and 46.15 seconds for the first half-mile. The homebred colt briefly seemed to stall on the turn but would respond to strong handling from jockey Luis Saez and draw away to a 1 ½-length victory.

“He tends to break a bit slow, so today we tried to warm him up good. When he broke, he broke sharp and we were right there,” Saez said. “At the three-eighths, I thought we were done, but I put him on the bridle again and he came back. He ran big, I never give up, I always ride till the end. When I pushed him he gave me that kick. It was a good race.”

Mutasaabeq ran a mile in 1:35.96 to win his first stakes on dirt.

“I thought he ran great. We wanted to make sure he got away from the gate cleanly – that hasn't always been his best first step. I thought he broke pretty well today and put himself in a good spot,” Pletcher said. “Luis had to get after him a little bit on the turn and kept responding and finding more. I thought it was a big effort.”

Papetu, who won his first two starts at Gulfstream before finishing out of the money in the Saratoga Special (G2) and Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga, finished second, 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Awesome Gerry,

After winning his debut, Mutasaabeq finished a distant third in the Hopeful. Pletcher moved him to the turf for his next start, and he responded with a late-surging victory in the Bourbon (G2) at Keeneland. However, he was unable to duplicate that effort after a slow start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

“We'll look to try another one on dirt. I'll talk to the team at Shadwell and come up with a plan,” Pletcher said. “I think today he showed his versatility. He's now a stakes winner on both surfaces. It's exciting to have one like that.”

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