Contact: Travis Stone
(954) 457-6331
travis.stone@gulfstreampark.com
Maiden ‘Paddy’ Tries
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL (Thu Mar. 4, 2010) – Veteran horseman Dale Romans will not often be found running a maiden in a Graded stakes with a six-figure purse, but will do just that Saturday when he sends out Donegal Racing’s 3-year-old Paddy O’Prado in the $150,000 Palm Beach Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
“He is very talented. I never expected him to be a maiden this long,” said Romans Thursday morning. “He’s had several troubled trips. I like the distance of the stakes race, the maiden race that day (Saturday) is a mile-and-a-sixteenth and he likes longer and the stakes is a mile-and-an-eighth.”
A roan/gray colt by El Prado purchased for $105,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sales, Paddy O’Prado drew post one in the field of nine. The colt will be ridden by jockey Jesus Castanon as he makes his fifth career start and second this year after a third-place finish in a maiden special test over the Gulfstream course on Feb. 10, his first start since early September at
Romans’ optimism about Paddy O’Prado can be attributed in part to the promise he showed in two turf starts at Saratoga last summer and the company he kept in those races. After a dull try sprinting on a ‘sloppy’ track at Churchill Downs in his career debut on July 4, he lost a neck decision to Dean’s Kitten in a maiden special test at the Spa on Aug. 5 and finished an even third in the With Anticipation Stakes (G3) on Sept. 4.
Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Dean’s Kitten will be among Paddy O’Prado’s rivals in the
The With Anticipation was won by Wertheimer et Frere’s Interactif, who would likely have been the favorite in the Palm Beach had he be entered. After the With Anticipation, Interactif went on to finish a game third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, beaten less than a length for it all, and lost a photo decision last out in the Hallandale Beach Stakes here on Feb. 7 as the favorite to Bim Bam, the favorite in the Palm Beach.
A number of stakes runners based in
Three-year-old Tahitian Warrior was very impressive winning his six-furlong career debut at Gulfstream by 4 ¾ lengths for owner Frank Calabrese and trainer Danny Miller in 1:09 4/5 and was sold privately not long after to the Maktoum family’s Godolphin enterprise. He was later shipped to
The roan/gray gelding by Maria’s Mon is entered to make his second start Friday in a $150,000 allowance race going one mile on turf at the new Meydan Race Course in Dubai for Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor with Frankie Dettori named to ride in a race that could earn him a chance in the $2 million UAE Derby (G2) on Dubai World Cup Day, Mar. 27.
Headed in the opposite direction to run this weekend are P.A.R.J. Stable’s 6-year-old gelding Delightful Kiss to Santa Anita to run in the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) and Ogden Phipps’s 4-year-old Gone Astray to Arkansas for the $150,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park.
Delightful Kiss is a roan/gray son of Kissin Kris trained by Pete Anderson who finished third last out behind
Gulfstream-based jockey Eddie Castro travels for the mount on Gone Astray for trainer Shug McGaughey as the homebred son of Dixie Union makes his first start since finishing third as the favorite in the Discovery Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct on Nov. 21. Gone Astray trained for his return at
Shipping north to Aqueduct to run Saturday in the $100,000 Toboggan Handicap (G3) is Homewrecker Stable and Avalon Farm’s 4-year-old Custom for Carlos, the likely favorite after winning the $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream for trainer Eddie Kenneally on Jan. 9.
Another Gulfstream winner from early in the meet in action Saturday at Aqueduct is Starlight Partners’ 3-year-old Three Day Rush in the $250,000 Gotham Stakes (G3) for trainer Todd Pletcher. The son of Starlight’s 2002 Florida Derby (G1) winner Harlan’s
The 24th edition of the $150,000 Palm Beach Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf highlights Saturday’s card at
G. Watts Humphrey, Jr.’s El Crespo won the
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Travis Stone
Media Manager,
Phone: (954) 457-6331
E-Mail: travis.stone@gulfstreampark.com
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