Gulfstream: Recruiting Ready Gets Class Relief in $75,000 Buffalo Man

By David Joseph —-

Unbeaten Fact Finding Makes Stakes Debut in $75,000 Smooth Air

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Already having faced some of the most promising young colts in the country, Sagamore Farm’s multiple graded stakes-placed Recruiting Ready makes his return to the races and his South Florida debut in Saturday’s $75,000 Buffalo Man at Gulfstream Park.

The six-furlong Buffalo Man and $75,000 Smooth Air, contested at one mile, are two of six stakes for 2-year-olds worth $450,000 in purses on the 11-race Juvenile Showcase Day program.

Recruiting Ready was a 10 ¼-length winner of his unveiling going 4 ½ furlongs May 28 at Pimlico Race Course, earning him a trip to Kentucky for the Bashford Manor (G3) where he drew clear in the stretch only to get run down by Classic Empire, beaten less than a length. Classic Empire, trained by Mark Casse, went on to win two Grade 1 races including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to establish himself as the early Triple Crown race favorite.

In his next start, the Aug. 14 Saratoga Special (G2), Recruiting Ready again looked like a winner in the stretch before getting caught by late-running long shot Gunnevera and finishing second by a length before being disqualified to fourth for interference. Two starts later, Gunnevera won the $1 million Delta Jackpot (G3).

Most recently Recruiting Ready was back at Churchill Downs for the 1 1/16-mile Iroquois (G3), drawing even with the leaders nearing the stretch before flattening out and wound up third. The Dale Romans-trained winner, Not This Time, ran second to Classic Empire in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile before being retired late last month with a soft tissue injury.

“He’s down here and he worked twice over the track so we’re going to go ahead and give him a start there, take him back to three-quarters and just kind of focus on the sprinter series. Hopefully he kind of puts those races together,” trainer Horacio DePaz said. “He got caught with some really tough company in his last three races so hopefully he can get something done there.

“It’s just hard when you have a trainer like Dale Romans saying that it was probably the best 2-year-old he ever trained, and Mark Casse, as well. They’ve got some very talented colts that we ran into,” he added. “Even Gunnevera, he came back and won the big race at Delta. They weren’t slouch horses that we ran against. He can run, but he got caught by some very nice colts.”

A bay son Algorithms, 2012 winner of the Holy Bull (G2) at Gulfstream, Recruiting Ready has posted three straight bullet workouts including two straight at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. He went a half-mile in 48 seconds on Monday, fastest of 24 horses.

“Hopefully we lighten up the company a little bit. There’s some decent horses in there but as far as being tested he definitely ran against some top horses,” DePaz said. “I think he’ll take a liking to Gulfstream. It’s a little bit tighter track and shorter stretch, so we’ll see.”

Joel Rosario will be aboard for the first time from outside Post 9 at 116 pounds.

Recruiting Ready will see a familiar face in Calumet Farm’s Sonic Mule, who finished fourth but was placed third in the Saratoga Special. A first-out winner July 15 at Monmouth Park July 15, he was third in the Sapling and second in the Armed Forces, both at one mile and the latter on turf, before taking a six-furlong optional claiming allowance on the dirt Nov. 3 at Gulfstream Park West.

“He’s pretty versatile and we just felt like six furlongs was the right [distance] for him this time. He’s run on the turf, he ran a mile on dirt at Monmouth, but I think this is the right race for him now,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Anytime you have experience it’s beneficial, so hopefully that pays off for him in this race.”

Sonic Mule will leave from Post 2 with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez in the irons.

Hardway Stables’ Talk Logistics, a handy 3 ¾-length debut winner July 3 at Parx for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr., will be making just his second career start in the Buffalo Man. In His Image, a five-furlong maiden turf winner at Gulfstream Park West Oct. 28; My Carrots, unraced since notching his second straight win Sept. 10 at Monmouth Park; Uncle B, second in the Swynford Stakes Nov. 27 at Woodbine; Gulfstream Park West maiden winner Vencedor; Red Crescent and Two Steps Before round out the field.

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.