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Simplification Controls Mucho Macho Man On Front End

Ten weeks after turning heads with a powerful maiden victory over the same track, Tami Bobo's Simplification made an ever bigger statement in his stakes debut with a front-running triumph in Saturday's $150,000 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 11^th running of the one-mile Mucho Macho Man, the first step on Gulfstream's road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby April 2, headlined five stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds worth $550,000 in purses on the New Year's Day holiday program.

Ridden by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano for trainer Antonio Sano, Simplification ($10.40) was in control from the outset in his fourth career start. The bay son of Not This Time, who drew several offers following his 16 ¾-length graduation Oct. 23, was stretching out beyond six furlongs for the first time.

“I told everyone, these are good horses but I thought the more distance would be better for my horse,” Sano said. “When the horse ran six furlongs for the first time, he won easy, but that was a maiden special weight.

“The next race the horse was not ready. He did not work every day because [we had] the option to sell the horse,” he added. “The horse was not sold. I told the owner, we'll enter January 1^st for one mile. Castellano worked the horse. He's a special horse, a very good horse. I'm glad we ran the horse.”

Simplification broke alertly from Post 3 and dragged Castellano to the lead, where he was unmoved through a quarter-mile in 23.70 seconds and a half in 45.81, as Skippylongstocking and Mr Rum Runner alternated in second and third with 4-5 favorite Strike Hard rating along the rail in fourth.

Castellano and Simplification hit the top of the stretch full of run, while Strike Hard tipped out and split Skippylongstocking and Mr Rum Runner to mount a challenge. Castellano shook the reins and Simplification took off again, completing the distance in 1:35.04 over a fast main track to win by four lengths.

It was the second stakes win of the day for Castellano, the Championship Meet's only five-time leading rider, who also captured the Mucho Macho Man's companion race, the $100,000 Cash Run for 3-year-old fillies going one mile, aboard Kathleen O.

“Beautiful. That's what I was looking for today. It's exactly how I handicapped the race. I watched his replays and I worked the horse, and he's got speed but at the same time he is able to relax,” Castellano said. “We didn't expect to be on the lead, because we were trying to stretch out the horse and let him develop a good foundation, but he took it in the nice way. I didn't want to take away anything that comes easy, and he was straightforward.

“He was happy and satisfied on the lead, galloping along, and when I asked him he took off and re-broke at the quarter pole. I liked the way he did it,” he added. “I felt like he did it very easy, in a nice way. I didn't see the fractions, but he did a very comfortable, relaxed pace. I liked the way he galloped out. I don't think he'll have any problem stretching out. He's well-bred and has a good foundation. Fingers crossed.”

Strike Hard was a decisive second, 7 ¼ lengths ahead of Mr Rum Runner. They were followed by Graphic Detail, 41-1 long shot Sport Pepper, and Skippylongstocking.

Castellano considered remaining in New York for the winter before making his annual sojourn to Gulfstream, won the Mucho Macho man for the fourth time. He previously won with Mask (2018), Sonic Mule (2017) and Bluegrass Singer (2015).

“I think that's the type of horse, that's why the reason I'm here in South Florida, to help develop the new generation of 3-year-olds,” he said. “I'm very lucky and very fortunate to find this horse.”

The $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) Feb. 5 and $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) March 5, both going 1 1/16 miles, are the next steps on the road to the Florida Derby. Sano said he already has Simplification's next start picked out.

“Right now we're going on to the Holy Bull,” he said. “I think it's perfect.”

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Mucho Macho Man Stakes: Strike Hard Aiming For Strong Start On Road To Florida Derby

For Miracle's International Trading, Inc.'s Strike Hard and Matthew Williams, the trainer for his family's stable, Saturday's $150,000 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park could prove to be a milestone race.

The 11th running of the one-mile Mucho Macho Man, the first step on Gulfstream's road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby April 2, headlines five stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds worth $550,000 in purses on the New Year's Day holiday program.

Post time for the first of 11 races is noon.

Both Strike Hard, a gray or roan son of Grade 2 winner Flashback, and Williams, a 25-year-old native of Kingston, Jamaica, are chasing the first stakes victory of their young careers. Williams has started 143 horses since November 2018 with 13 wins, while Strike Hard has raced five times with two wins, one second and one third.

“Going into the Mucho Macho Man, I have a lot of confidence. I definitely think he's up to the challenge and the level, especially based on his last performance,” Williams said. “This race will help us decide what's next.”

Strike Hard enters the Mucho Macho Man off a popular four-length optional claiming allowance triumph Dec. 5 at Gulfstream, with Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained stablemates A. P.'s Secret and Skippylongstocking a nose apart in second and third, respectively.

It was Strike Hard's second career win at a mile, coming in 1:35.60. The winning time would rank as the second-fastest in Mucho Macho Man history behind the 1:34.39 posted in 2013 by Itsmyluckyday, who went on to run second in the Florida Derby, win three graded-stakes including the 2014 Whitney (G1), and earn more than $1.7 million in purses.

“I thought he ran a very good race,” Williams said. “They regarded A. P.'s Secret pretty well and he beat him by four lengths, and he did it in good time, too. He went in [1:22.64] for seven furlongs and 1:35 and change for a mile. That was pretty good, I thought.”

Purchased for $25,000 as a 2-year-old in training at OBS in March, Strike Hard came back to breeze five furlongs in 1:01.13 Dec. 24 over Gulfstream's main track, eighth-fastest of 34 horses.

“He's doing great. I'm happy with him,” Williams said. “I'm as happy as I can be with him.”

Strike Hard ran seventh, beaten 6 ¾ lengths, in the Sept. 18 Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs, his only previous stakes attempt. Junior Alvarado is named to ride from Post 2 in a field of six.

“I'd like to draw a line through that race,” Williams said. “I think we shipped him a little too close to the race, just because we were uncertain whether we'd actually get in. They were expecting a big field, there were a lot of nominations, so we didn't ship him when we had initially planned. I hope that means he didn't give us his best that day.”

Williams' best horse to date has been Dream Marie, a 4-year-old mare that has won four of 23 starts with $278,420 in purse earnings. She has placed in five stakes including seconds in the Rampart (G3) and Hollywood Wildcat and a third in the Davona Dale (G2) in 2020 at Gulfstream. Williams is hopeful Strike Hard will be even more successful.

“From early on we thought he'd be a really nice horse. He trains really professionally,” he said. “He's shown us good interest when training. I definitely like his competitiveness. The times when he was breezing in the early stages and the way he did it, the riders were always impressed with him and so was I.”

The Championship Meet's leading trainer with 17 wins since Dec. 3, Joseph is keeping the likes of Remington Springboard Mile winner Make It Big, Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) show finisher White Abarrio and A. P.'s Secret on the bench for the Mucho Macho Man, but he will be represented by Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking.

Joseph is seeking his second Mucho Macho Man victory in three years following Chance It in 2020, who would go on to be Grade 1 placed. Skippylongstocking may have a change of equipment following his loss to Strike Hard last time out.

“He ran a decent race last time,” Joseph said. “We're probably going to try some blinkers on him this time, so hopefully it will help him jump forward. The horse that beat him last time beat him pretty convincingly … so he has to improve.”

Skippylongstocking finished ahead of Strike Hard when they ran second and third, respectively, separated by two lengths in an Aug. 7 maiden special weight at Gulfstream. Like Strike Hard, Skippylongstocking would also graduate in his subsequent start, a 10 ½-length maiden special weight romp over Rod Two Rod going a mile Sept. 26 at Gulfstream. Rod Two Rod was fourth, two lengths behind Skippylongstocking, in the Dec. 5 allowance.

“His maiden win was good. The horse he beat came back to win but the time was slow and he beat that horse [again] the other day,” Joseph said. “That horse kind of actually gained a few lengths on him, so the form hasn't been that strong. That's the concern. I know he's a decent horse, but can he make that jump? We're going to give him one more try to find out and, hopefully, blinkers can help him move forward a bit.”

Tyler Gaffalione, who also rode Chance It in the Mucho Macho Man, gets the return call from Post 5.

Lanes Mark Racing Stable and Danny Pate's Mr Rum Runner has never been worse than third in four starts and enters the Mucho Macho Man off his first win, a Nov. 21 maiden special weight at Gulfstream going one mile. He pressed the pace before taking a short lead, lost it at the top of the stretch and came back through the lane to win by a neck.

In his prior start, Mr Rum Runner set the pace along the inside and opened a clear advantage before being chased down and finished second to Peter D in the one-mile, 70-yard Juvenile over Gulfstream's Tapeta surface Oct. 23. Peter D has gone on to win two subsequent starts.

“He's training good. Hopefully, he can take the next step. He's a nice horse. He has never disappointed us so far. We'll see how good he is,” trainer Patrick Biancone said. “He's a horse that when he takes the lead he has a tendency to pull up, so the jockey has to time the race perfectly.”

Romero Maragh is set to ride back from Post 4.

OXO Equine's Graphic Detail is entered to make his second career start and first since rallying for a half-length maiden special weight triumph sprinting six furlongs Nov. 6 at Belmont Park for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The fourth-place finisher in that race, Provocateur, came back to break his maiden by 4 ½ lengths as the favorite Dec. 23 at Tampa Bay Downs. Graphic Detail's sire, Practical Joke, won the 2016 Hopeful (G1) and Champagne (G1) and was third in the 2017 Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream before taking the Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga.

Graphic Detail drew outside Post 6 under Luis Saez.

Tami Bobo's Simplification ran fifth in his unveiling Oct. 1 over the Tapeta at Gulfstream before graduating by 16 ¾ lengths against fellow Florida-breds in an Oct. 23 maiden special weight over the main track. Most recently, the Not This Time colt finished third as the favorite in a Nov. 13 optional claiming allowance and will be stretching out beyond six furlongs for the first time.

Rounding out the field is Peacock Stable's Sport Pepper, owned and trained by Kerry Zavash. The Classic Empire gelding broke his maiden on the turf and won an optional claiming allowance on the dirt in successive starts at Arlington Park and Keeneland, respectively, this fall before finishing off the board in the Oct. 31 Street Sense at Churchill Downs and Dec. 3 Pulpit on the grass at Gulfstream.

Sport Pepper will break from the rail with Corey Lanerie.

Contested as the Gulfstream Park Derby from 2012-14, the Mucho Macho Man was renamed in honor of the Gulfstream-based winner of nine of 25 career starts and more than $5.6 million in purse earnings. Seven of his victories came in stakes – the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and Awesome Again (G1), 2012 Suburban (G2) and Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2), 2011 Risen Star (G2) and 2014 and 2012 Sunshine Millions Classic.

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Gulfstream’s Rainbow 6 Pool Guaranteed At $450,000 For Saturday’s Holy Bull Card

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $450,000 on Saturday's Holy Bull Day card at Gulfstream Park.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved Friday for the third racing day following Sunday's mandatory payout. Multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $205.60.

The jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

First-race post for Saturday's 12-race program is set for 11:45 a.m.

Saturday's six-race sequence will span Races 7-12, featuring the $200,000 Holy Bull (G3) in Race 11 on a program offering four other graded stakes.

The Holy Bull, the first graded-stakes on the Road to the Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill 'n Dale at Xalapa, attracted a deep field of exciting Triple Crown prospects, including Shug McGaughey-trained Greatest Honour, the 5-2 morning line favorite coming off a strong maiden score at the 1 1/.16-mile distance; the Pletcher-trained impressive debut winners Prime Factor and Amount; and Rodolphe Brisset-trained Tarantino, a son of Tapit, who is a nose away from being undefeated in three starts on turf.

The Rainbow 6 sequence kicks off with a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race for 3-year-olds on turf in Race 7, a likely 'spread' race featuring debuters trained by Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown, Kenny McPeek, Bill Mott and Barclay Tagg. A starter allowance at one mile on turf for older horses follows in Race 8.

The $100,000 Forward Gal (G3), a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies, will feature the return of sparkling debut winner Zaajel in Race 9. The Pletcher-trained daughter of Street Sense, who pulled away by 7 ¼ lengths at seven furlongs, is rated at 7-5 in the morning line.

Pletcher will also be well-represented in the $100,000 Sweetest Chant (G3), a mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies carded as Race 10. Con Lima has won her last two starts for the 16-time Championship Meet titlist, including a 3 ¼-length victory in the Jan. 1 Ginger Brew.

The Holy Bull will be followed by a mile turf race for $35,000 claimers, 4 years old and up, in Race 12.

The $100,000 Kitten's Joy (G3) and the $100,000 Claiborne Farm Swale (G3) are scheduled earlier on the program. Calumet Farm's Kentucky Pharoah, a three-length winner in the Dania Beach last time out, headlines the Kitten's Joy, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds carded as Race 4. Slam Dunk Racing and Madaket Stables LLC's Drain the Clock and Claiborne Farm and Jump Sucker Stable's By George, an impressive debut winner at Aqueduct last time out, are expected to vie for favoritism for the Swale, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds carded as Race 6.

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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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