Gulfstream News & Notes: Mighty Heart Keeping an Eye on the Prize

By David Joseph —-

Gulfstream News & Notes

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Lawrence Cordes’ Mighty Heart will keep an eye on the prize – literally – after the 4-year-old son of Dramedy leaves the starting gate in Saturday’s $150,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Although he has the use of only one eye, the over-achieving colt has persevered to become a multiple graded-stakes winner with purse earnings over $1 million. The homebred colt, whose left eye had to be removed following a paddock accident when he was only two-weeks old, reached the pinnacle of Canadian racing when he won the 2020 Queen’s Plate, the first leg of the Triple Crown for Ontario-bred 3-year-olds. The homebred colt also won the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie on his way to being honored as the 2020 Canadian Horse of the Year.

“He has been a lot of fun for us. He was the underdog in the Queen’s Plate and he ran the race of his life,” trainer Jose Carroll said. “He always shows up. I call him a scrappy little horse. He loves to go head-and-head. He’s a trying little horse.”

Mighty Heart will carry highweight of 126 pounds in the Harlan’s Holiday, a 1 1/16-mile prep for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational [(G1), Jan. 29], on Saturday’s 11-race program with five stakes, four graded, including the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale, a 1 1/8-mile prep for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

The ultra-consistent Mighty Heart, who is coming off a victory in the Autumn Stakes (G2) on Woodbine’s Tapeta surface over which he won the Queen’s Plate. The resilient colt captured the Prince of Wales, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown on dirt but failed to pull off a series sweep, finishing far back in the Breeders’ Stakes over Woodbine’s turf.

“I don’t think the turf was the reason. He broke sharply and was headed by a longshot, and he never came off the bridle. He galloped right along early and got tired,” Carroll said.

Mighty Heart is rated second in the morning-line at 9-5 behind Todd Pletcher-trained Fearless, the 8-5 favorite who captured the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) last season.

Alms Looking to Regain Winning Form in Suwannee River (G3)

Godolphin homebred Alms, making her third start after more than a year between races, attempts a return to her multiple graded stakes-winning form in Saturday’s $100,000 Suwannee River (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

A 4-year-old daughter and granddaughter of Grade 1 winners City Zip and Empire Maker, Alms began her career with four consecutive wins including the six-furlong Matron (G3) at Belmont Park and one-mile Jimmy Durante (G3) at Del Mar back-to-back to cap her juvenile campaign.

Alms ran three times last year, winning the Shantel Lanerie Memorial before running fifth in the Tepin and third by a head in the Appalachian (G2), all going a mile. The latter race would be Alms’ last for 15 months before returning to Keeneland in an Oct. 28 allowance.

“She’s obviously proven her talent before, and we think the mile is her preferred distance, so that’s why we chose this race,” trainer Michael Stidham said. “She’s doing good. She came out of the last race in good shape, so we figured we’d take a shot at the Grade 3.”

In her most recent race, Alms was beaten a neck when second to Breeze Rider in the about 1 1/16-mile Joseph R. Peluso Memorial Nov. 25 at Fair Grounds. Luis Saez, who had four-win days at Gulfstream Wednesday and Thursday, has the mount from Post 7 in a field of 12.

“We were very encouraged by her last race and very happy with the effort. She was unlucky to lose. We felt like this being her third race back could be her best,” Stidham said. “We took our time bringing her back. She filled out and matured quite a bit. We were happy to get her back in the barn, and she’s doing really well. We’re expecting a big effort.”

Fort Lauderdale (G2) Could Lead to Pegasus for Space Traveller

Clipper Logistics’ Space Traveller, a multiple group-stakes winner overseas, will make his fourth attempt at transferring that form to North America and earn a shot at the Jan. 29 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) in the process in Saturday’s $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

Bred in England, Space Traveller is a 5-year-old son of British Group 2 winner Bated Breath and grandson of multiple Group 1 winner Galileo. In 2019, he won the Solonaway Stakes (G2) in Ireland and Jersey Stakes (G3) at Royal Ascot and made his North American debut with an eighth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita.

“Without a doubt the talent is there. He was a very talented horse in England if things go right for him,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “I do think he needs fast ground and a mile, mile and a sixteenth, mile and an eighth even, will probably hit him right between the eyes. If he can continue to adjust over here then I think he’s got a bright future going forward.”

Space Traveller came to the U.S. this summer and ran fourth in the 1 ¼-mile Mr. D. (G1) Aug. 14 at Arlington Park. He finished second in the Sept. 18 Woodbine Mile (G1) and fifth in the Keeneland Turf Mile (G1) Oct. 9, beaten 2 ¼ lengths each time.

“He ran at Arlington literally off the plane, but I’ve had him ever since then, for Woodbine and for Keeneland. He’s run creditable every time,” Walsh said. “He’s a nice horse. Hopefully he likes it in the U.S. and if we can get a little more out of him, I think he can be a very, very nice horse.”

Space Traveller has breezed four times since mid-November over the turf course at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. Tyler Gaffalione is named to ride from Post 12 in an overflow field of 13.

“We backed off of him since his last race. We’ve had him down here a long time, actually. We brought him down here pretty early so he could get used to it,” Walsh said. “This has been the plan for while with him. It seems like he’s doing well. He worked well the other day and I’m hoping he’ll run really well.”

A good effort could land Space Traveller in the Pegasus Turf, also run at 1 1/8 miles and scheduled for Jan. 29 on the $5.2 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational program.

“I think if he runs well then we’ll definitely have to consider it, if he shows a liking for Gulfstream,” Walsh said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

ABOUT THE STRONACH GROUP AND 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The company’s consumer facing brand 1/ST (pronounced “First”) powers The Stronach Group’s forward-thinking 1/ST RACING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY, 1/ST EXPERIENCE, and 1/ST PROPERTIES businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred horse racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING drives the best-in-class horse racing operations at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, Gulfstream Park West and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the newly formed operating group for all of 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, GWS and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is horse racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. 1/ST PROPERTIES is responsible for the development of the company’s live, work and play communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred horse racing on and off the track. For more information, please email david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com and visit www.1st.com.