Gentle Soul Puts Late Kick on Display in $100K Colonel E. R. Bradley

January 22, 2023

A strong late rally makes Gentle Soul a winner (Hodges Photography)

Fair Grounds Press Release

NEW ORLEANS— Martin Mueller, Don Ladd, Richard Reid, Joe Bowley, and Arvydas Cieminis’ Gentle Soul reversed the tactics employed in his Diliberto defeat, putting his late kick on display winning Saturday’s $100,000 Colonel E.R. Bradley at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Trained by Bret Calhoun and ridden by Rey Gutierrez, Gentle Soul ran 1 1/16 miles over a firm turf course with the rails 34 feet out in 1:48.82 while defeating the betting favorites Two Emmys and Price Talk by 1/2 length, as they finished second and third respectively.

Freedom Factor, the longest price on the board, led the field of eight older males clocking early fractions of :25.31 and :51.90. Two Emmys tracked Freedom Factor from the four-path before producing a bid and taking the lead turning for home. The betting favorite Price Talk made a run that Two Emmys fought off, but it was Gentle Soul’s eleven path rally which proved to be the winning move.

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“Last race put that on me,” Gutierrez said. “The horse has always rallied really strongly when he’s behind horses, and today he showed that. My team really helped me to win this after the last ride I gave him, so thank you Bret, and thank you, Jose (agent Santos, Jr.).”

Scratched from the Louisiana on dirt when he was able to draw into the Bradley off the AE list, this marked Gentle Soul’s first stakes win in 10 starts. His record is 5-0-0 with $182,066 in career earnings.

“I think he’s proved to us he wants to be back off the pace, covered up and swing out,” Calhoun said. “I don’t blame Rey (jockey Gutierrez) for what he tried the last time. The race fell apart and he found himself on the lead. It’s not (Gentle Soul’s) style and we know that for sure now and we won’t change it.”

Gentle Soul paid his backers $21.80, $9.20, and $5.40. Big Agenda, English Tavern, Ready to Purrform, American Hero, and Freedom Factor.

@jonathanstettin another excellent day for the man who does it best. Thx Jon &@Tracking_Trips. Hoping you have some thoughts for tomorrow!

Kevin West @KFWest003 View testimonials

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