Contact: Travis Stone
(954) 457-6331
travis.stone@gulfstreampark.com
‘Paco’ & Pletcher Alone on the Lead as Gulfstream Meet Closes
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL (Sat, April, 24 2010) - There was little drama in the horsemen’s title chases in the final weeks of the 2010 Gulfstream Park racing season that closes on Saturday as Todd Pletcher sealed a seventh consecutive championship more than a month ago and 24-year-old jockey Paco Lopez drew off from his closest rivals adding six more winners in the last two days.
Pletcher is the focus of national attention this week as he prepares a team of 3-year-olds starts for next Saturday’s 136th Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs while assistant Anthony Sciametta remained at Palm Meadows with the stable continuing to be represented this final week.
Pletcher sent out 35 winners at the session highlighted with the victories of 4-year-old
Lopez won four races on Thursday and two more on Friday to bring his total to 70 for the meet. Elvis Trujillo is second with 55, followed by Javier Castellano third at 50 after leading for much of the meet before moving on to Kentucky and New York after Florida Derby weekend. Jose Lezcano, 2009 Gulfstream champion, finished fourth at 47 with John R. Velazquez fifth with 46.
Formidable Drills for Churchill Turf Sprint
Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens and most of his stable had shipped back to Belmont Park during this final week of the Gulfstream Park season, but he did leave behind Verse Choir for his wife Elizabeth’s Hardwicke Stable to win a race on Thursday at Gulfstream, along with Robert N. Clay’s 5-year-old Formidable, who drilled a sharp half-mile in 46 3/5 over the Gulfstream track Saturday morning. The son of Sky Mesa is expected to start in Friday’s $100,000 Churchill Downs Turf Sprint (G3) on Kentucky Oaks Day. Formidable won all three of his starts at Gulfstream this season, two on the main track and the last going five-eighths on turf on Apr. 4, his first ever start on grass.
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Travis Stone
Media Manager,
Phone: (954) 457-6331
E-Mail: travis.stone@gulfstreampark.com
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