Gulfstream Stakes Previews: G2 Pan American, Grade 3 Hal’s Hope

By David Joseph —-

Zulu Alpha Back for More in $200,000 Pan American (G2)

Among 10 Stakes, Six Graded, Worth $1.825 Million March 28

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Even if it wasn’t in the original plans, the connections for claimer-turned-Grade 1-winning multi-millionaire Zulu Alpha couldn’t have found a better landing spot than Saturday’s $200,000 Kitten’s Joy Pan American at Gulfstream Park.

The 59th running of the 1 ½-mile Pan American for 4-year-olds and up on turf is part of a blockbuster 14-race program that includes 10 stakes, six graded, worth $1.825 million anchored by the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1), one of the country’s premier Triple Crown preps. First-race post time is 11:30 a.m.

Fans can live stream the action at www.gulfstreampark.com and also watch and wager at www.xpressbet.com and www.1stbet.com

Trainer Mike Maker had wanted to give Zulu Alpha some time following the 7-year-old gelding’s repeat victory in the Mac Diarmida (G2) Feb. 29. It was the second triumph of the Championship Meet for Zulu Alpha, who opened 2020 with a career-highlight victory in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) Jan. 25.

“He continues to do excellent. I called an audible since the [Kentucky] Derby day stakes had been canceled, so we elected for the Pan American,” Maker said. “He’s had a great winter.”

Zulu Alpha trailed all but two horses before using a patient rail-skimming trip to find room in the stretch and go on to a two-length victory in the 1 3/16-mile Pegasus. He got the exact opposite trip in the 1 3/8-mile Mac Diarmida, making a sweeping five-wide move before getting up to win by a length.

Both races came under jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who returns to ride from Post 9 of 10 at co-topweight of 124 pounds.

“It’s just the way the races shaped up. The bottom line is, the horse likes to win,” Maker said. “The last time he didn’t get away good and had a wide trip, but he was able to get the job done. We’re looking for another big performance this Saturday.”

Zulu Alpha owns 11 wins and $2.02 million in purse earnings from 32 lifetime starts, hitting the board 20 times. Claimed for $80,000 out of a Sept. 14, 2018 win at Churchill Downs, he has run 12 times for Maker – all in graded-stakes. Five of them have been wins, including the 2019 W.L. McKnight (G3), and he owns four straight wins over the Gulfstream turf from five career starts.

“I feel blessed. How often does an individual like me get this kind of horse with this kind of success and compete at this level?” Hui said. “You just don’t see it.”

Added Maker: “Winning the Pegasus was exciting and the fact that Michael Hui got to experience it – he’s just been such a great client and a great guy that it was very well-deserved.”

Maker will also send out Paradise Farm Corp.’s Bemma’s Boy, a 5-year-old Into Mischief gelding he claimed for $30,000 last May. Bemma’s Boy was fourth, beaten less than a length, in the 1 1/8-mile River City Handicap (G3) to end his 2019 campaign, and kicked off this year running third by the same three-quarter-length margin in the 1 ½-mile John B. Connally (G3) Jan. 26 at Sam Houston.

“He’s another one that is on top of his game. He had some bad luck at Sam Houston last time, otherwise I felt he was the best horse in the race,” Maker said. “He’s been his own worst enemy at the gate.”

Florent Geroux has the call on Bemma’s Boy from Post 2.

A third Maker trainee, Paradise Farms Corp. and Mad Dog Racing Stable’s Go Poke the Bear, will make his stakes debut in the Pan American. He was a head winner of a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance Jan. 1 at Gulfstream, his most recent start and first off a $50,000 claim last fall.

Calumet Farm’s Channel Cat enters the Pan American with a lifetime bankroll just shy of the $1 million mark at $938,992 from 21 starts including his lone graded-stakes triumph in the 2019 Bowling Green (G2) last summer at Saratoga.

A 5-year-old son of turf champion English Channel, who shared the same trainer in Todd Pletcher, Channel Cat ran into trouble early in the Pegasus Turf and was never in contention finishing 10th. It was one of only two off-the-board efforts in seven tries at Gulfstream, where he owns two wins, one second and two thirds.

“He’s a cool horse. I think getting back to a mile and a half is sort of his specialty. He seems to be in good form, so we’re looking forward to getting him going again,” Pletcher said. “He’s run well over the Gulfstream course before, but I think most importantly getting back to a mile and a half is in his favor.”

Channel Cat will carry 122 pounds including jockey Joel Rosario from Post 1.

Pletcher also entered Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert LaPenta and Dixiana Farms’ Grade 3 winner Current. Fifth in last year’s Florida Derby, the 4-year-old Curlin colt returned from a six-month layoff to be third in a March 6 optional claiming allowance at Tampa Bay Downs.

West Point Thoroughbreds, New Phoenix Stable, Louisa Stevenson and Tango Uniform Racing’s Focus Group was a popular nose winner of last year’s Pan American, which marked his third win and second stakes in four starts. He went winless in five subsequent tries to end the year, and will be racing for the first time in five months and first for trainer Christophe Clement.

Terry Hamilton’s Spooky Channel, neck winner of the 1 ½-mile McKnight Jan. 25; six-time stakes winner Galleon Mast; Grade 2-placed Prince of Arabia and Manicomio are also entered.

Harvey Wallbanger Back in Fashion

Leads Field of 11 in Competitive Hal’s Hope (G3)

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Consider Harvey Wallbanger, the cocktail.

It experienced a meteoric rise in popularity, fell out of favor, and has now made a popular comeback.

Consider Harvey Wallbanger, the horse.

It experienced a meteoric rise in popularity, fell out of favor, and has now made a popular comeback.

One of 11 older horses entered in Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile Hal’s Hope (G3) at Gulfstream Park, Harvey Wallbanger burst onto the radar of racing fans in February of 2019 when he won the Holy Bull (G2) by a length at odds of 29-1. Suddenly, Harvey Wallbanger was considered a classic contender.

But Harvey fell out of favor when he finished eighth in the Florida Derby (G1), seventh in the Lexington (G3), and went the remainder of the year without a victory.

Now Harvey Wallbanger is back; signaling his return a month ago at Gulfstream with an impressive 5 ¼ length victory in which he burst through the rail around the turn before finishing going away.

A winner of two of three starts at Gulfstream, Harvey Wallbanger’s competition will include Challenger (G3) winner Trophy Chaser, last year’s Florida Derby runner-up Bodexpress, and two from the barn of leading trainer Todd Pletcher – American Tattoo and You’re to Blame.

Harvey Wallbanger, a 4-year-old son of Congrats, has been a “tricky horse,” according to Belmont (G1), Travers (G1), Alabama (G1), Ashland (G1) and two-time Florida Derby-winning trainer Ken McPeek.

“He’s the kind of horse who needs a pace,” McPeek added. “If the pace sets up right, if it unfolds the right way, he will run huge. But if there’s no pace he has a harder time. But he’s doing good and he likes Gulfstream.”

Pletcher, who has saddled the winner of the Hal’s Hope three of the past four years, will send out American Tattoo and You’re To Blame.

American Tattoo, winner of the Allen Jerkens at Gulfstream in December and third in the Marathon (G2) at Santa Anita in November, enters the Hal’s Hope off a 11th-place finish in the 1 ½-mile McKnight (G3) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream. It was American Tattoo’s first race on the turf after drawing the tough No. 11 post.

“Last time he drew a bad post in there and it’s so difficult in those three-turn races to get hung out three or four wide on two or three turns,” Pletcher said. “It was just too much to overcome. I actually do think the horse handles the turf OK, but we just figured with this opportunity we’d go ahead and get back on the dirt and see if he can regain his best form. He’s proven that he can handle it.”

You’re to Blame will be making his first start since October. The 6-year-old son of Distorted Humor, who finished second in last year’s Pimlico Special (G3) and was beaten only a length in the Brooklyn (G2), “needed a comeback spot,” Pletcher said.

“I think he really found his specialty in a mile and a quarter-plus dirt races so we’re hoping he can run well here,” he added. “Who knows what the future brings, but it could set him up for something like the Pimlico Special, where he ran very well last year. He was right there.”

The field also includes graded-stakes winner Sir Anthony, graded-stakes placed Just Whistle and Prompt, and stakes winners Realm and Eye of a Jedi.

About The Stronach Group

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred 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 Technology, 1/ST Live 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 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 (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, and Gulfstream Park West (Florida); and Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 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, Betmix, Monarch and XBTV brands. 1/ST Live blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality by delivering uniquely curated events such as InfieldFest and Pegasus LIV Stretch Village. 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 safet