Gulfstream: Versatile Play On Back on Turf for $75,000 Melody of Colors

By David Joseph —-

Versatile Play On Back on Turf for $75,000 Melody of Colors

Pletcher Looks to Defend Title with Standup in $75,000 Texas Glitter
Turf Sprints Join $100,000 Hal’s Hope (G3) Saturday, Feb. 23

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Klein Racing’s homebred Play On, already a winner on both turf and dirt in her young career, returns to the grass for her sophomore and stakes debut in Saturday’s $75,000 Melody of Colors at Gulfstream Park.

The third running of the Melody of Colors for fillies and the fourth renewal of the $75,000 Texas Glitter, both for 3-year-olds going five furlongs on the grass, are among three stakes on a program that includes the $100,000 Hal’s Hope (G3) for 4-year-olds and up at a mile on the dirt.

The 13-race program drew 147 entries. First race post is noon.

Play On, a bay daughter of Country Day based at Fair Grounds with trainer Brad Cox, takes a two-race win streak into the Melody of Colors, named for the Florida-bred multiple stakes winner bred and owned by Larry Foggle and trained by Tim Hills.

Last month, Cox shipped Grade 3-placed gelding Big Changes from New Orleans to Gulfstream to win the Sunshine Millions Turf as the favorite in his 7-year-old debut.

“I think she’s probably a little better on the grass, even though she won on the dirt last time. She’s coming into this race in good shape,” Cox said. “She’s fast, absolutely. She has speed, and it looks like she can run on both surfaces. But, we’re going to put her back on the grass here and see what happens.”

Play On went six furlongs in her debut Oct. 24 at Keeneland, finishing sixth, then cut back to 5 ½ to break her maiden at Fair Grounds in her lone grass start. She pressed the pace and encountered some trouble on the turn but dug in to win by a head.

Last time out Dec. 20 at Fair Grounds, Play On led all the way around in a 5 ¾-length optional claiming allowance score originally carded for the turf. Shaun Bridgmohan, aboard in all three starts, returns to ride from outside Post 9.

“When she broke her maiden, she overcame some adversity. She really had to fight to get her head in front. She showed a lot of grit that day in order to win. She came back in the off the turf race and performed really well. She kind of had things her way up front but did everything the right way and we were very pleased with the effort,” Cox said. “We kind of circled this race after she won that first-level allowance race and have been pointing for this for well over a month.”

Also making her 3-year-old debut is Brenda McCarthy’s Decorated Ace, winner of the one-mile Sorority Stakes Sept. 1 at Monmouth Park who was second by a half-length in the Juvenile Filly Turf Stakes Nov. 10 at Gulfstream Park West. She capped her juvenile campaign with a head triumph in an optional claiming allowance Dec. 29 at Tampa, and will be sprinting for the first time since her second career start last summer.

Trainer Todd Pletcher entered Bartolazzo Stable’s Just Ain’t Right, undefeated through two starts, both going six furlongs over Gulfstream’s main track. The Yes It’s True filly was a half-length winner at first asking Dec. 13, then came back to beat winners by a head Jan. 16. Hall of Famer John Velazquez is named from Post 2.

Completing the field are Catch a Thrill, a 2 ½-length maiden winner in her lone career start Jan. 13 over the Gulfstream turf; Ginger Nut, an Irish-bred stakes winner in England making her North American debut for trainer John Sadler; Beechwood Ella, Don’t Make Fun, Questionoftheday and Road Tiger, unraced since finishing fifth in the P.G. Johnson Stakes last August at Saratoga.

“I thought her first effort was really good,” Catch a Thrill’s trainer, Mark Casse, said. “She’s kind of a filly that we’ve liked all along and we were happy to get her going. We are going to come back and try this because she did win going five-eighths, but ultimately I think she’s going to be better going father.”

Pletcher Looks to Defend Title with Standup in $75,000 Texas Glitter

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Repole Stable’s Standup, second in his career debut last month at Gulfstream, will make his second start and first in a stakes looking to give trainer Todd Pletcher his second consecutive victory in the $75,000 Texas Glitter.

Standup, a gray or roan son of Into Mischief, raced far back in his unveiling going five furlongs on the grass Jan. 17, but closed well on the far outside to come up less than a length short of winner Yes I Am Free. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has the call from Post 5 of nine.

Mark Casse-trained Yes I Am Free returns in the Texas Glitter off his debut triumph, dueling for the lead along the inside throughout and holding on to win in 56.79 seconds over a firm course. The Florida-bred Uncaptured colt will have the services of Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz Jr., on a recent tear to put him atop the Gulfstream standings, from Post 4.

“He’s extremely fast,” Casse said. “His first race was good. I think he’ll need to step it up just a little bit, but a lot of our horses tend to get a little better with racing so hopefully he’ll kind of go to the next level. I think he’s probably going to be a nice little sprinter.”

Tracy Pinchin’s Jackson, winner of the Juvenile Sprint Stakes Nov. 10 at Gulfstream Park West, is entered to make his return to the turf in the Texas Glitter. The Jose Pinchin trainee was second in the five-furlong Hollywood Beach Stakes Sept. 29 at Gulfstream in his lone previous grass attempt. He was never in contention after getting off slowly and being bumped at the start of the seven-furlong Swale (G3) Feb. 2 in his most recent effort.

Thoroughbred Champions Training Center’s Gladiator King will be making his 10th career start and fourth of 2019 in the Texas Glitter. The son of Hall of Famer Curlin, last after being reluctant to load in the Fasig-Tipton Holy Bull (G2) Feb. 2, won the Inaugural Stakes Dec. 15 at Tampa Bay Downs and is two-for-two lifetime on the grass, breaking his maiden and beating winners in successive starts last fall at Gulfstream Park West.

Crosstown Shootout, Half Shot, Never Have I Ever, R Boy Bode and Running for Riz are also entered.

The Texas Glitter is named for the Pletcher-trained three-time Grade 3-winning Florida-bred that captured 11 of 37 career starts and earned $826,077 in purses from 1998-2002.

Gulfstream Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; XpressBet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. For more information contact David Joseph at david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com or call 954.457.6451.