HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Breeze Easy LLC’s Roderick will seek to start off his 2021 season in Saturday’s $75,000 Hutcheson at Gulfstream Park like he finished off his juvenile campaign.
The Wesley Ward-trained colt, who scored a dominating victory in a Nov. 29 optional claiming allowance at Churchill Downs, is scheduled to face six rivals in the Hutcheson, a six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds that will be featured on a program that will also include the $75,000 Any Limit, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies, and the $75,000 Captiva Island, a five-furlong turf dash for fillies and mares.
Roderick, a $550,000 yearling purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September sale, wrapped up his juvenile season with a 3 ¾-length triumph in a five-furlong dash, in which he stalked the early pace before drawing clear and winning geared down.
“He ran an incredible number in his last race. He’s always had a world of talent. He kind of was going through the learning curve after his maiden win there,” Ward said. “We got him back, we gave him a good amount of time to get him mentally right, and he ran a really nice race his last race of the year at Churchill.”
The son of Into Mischief launched his career in similar fashion while drawing away to an 8 ¼-length victory in a five-furlong maiden special weight at Belmont June 12.
Roderick would go on to run in three consecutive stakes with very limited success. Following an off-the-board finish in the Best Pal (G2) at Del Mar, he returned east to finish off the board again in the Indian Summer in his turf debut at Keeneland. Back on dirt, Roderick finished third in the six-furlong Nyquist Stakes on the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup card before breaking through with his big score at Churchill.
“I’m just kind of looking forward to this guy. I think he’s going to be a really nice sprinter. He certainly has distance limitations, but six furlongs should certainly be well within his reach,” Ward said.
Roderick has breezed seven times for his 2021 debut at Gulfstream Park West and Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility, where he’s worked twice on turf.
“He’s had multiple works over at [Gulfstream Park West] with Eddie Nunez up and he’s been able to settle in his breezes and work really, really well. I had Mario Pino breeze him on the grass the last time just to kind of make sure he was going into the race good and sound,” Ward said. “It’s always nice when you have that grass course, it helps to keep the horses sound.”
Irad Ortiz Jr., who was aboard for Roderick’s winning debut and his third-place Nyquist finish, has the call Saturday.
Jim Bakke and Gerry Isbister’s Ultimate Badger, a distant third behind victorious Drain the Clock in the Jan. 30 Swale (G3) at Gulfstream, is scheduled to cut back to six furlongs – the shortest distance he’s been asked to run since his five-furlong debut victory at Ellis Park in July.
The Dale Romans-trained son of Commissioner, who scored by 4 ¼ lengths over a sloppy Ellis track in his debut, closed mildly to check in third in the seven-furlong Swale, beaten nine lengths by Drain the Clock. Ultimate Badger was unplaced in his two other graded-stakes appearances at Churchill Downs.
Jose Ortiz has the return call.
Don and Rebecca Ming’s Worlds On High, enters the Hutcheson off a promising third-place finish in a six-furlong optional starter allowance, in which the son of Shanghai Bobby made a four-wide sweep from the half-mile pole into the stretch to enter contention before tiring late.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is also scheduled to saddle Stefania Farms LLC’s Lauda Speed, an optional claiming starter allowance last time out.
Emisael Jaramillo is scheduled to ride Worlds on High, while Edgard Zayas has the call on Lauda Speed.
Bell Racing LLC’s Real Talk, Lea Farms LLC’s Willy Boi, and Just for Fun Stable Inc.’s Warrior’s Pride round out the field.
Farsighted Looking to Go Back to Sprinting in Any Limit
G. Watts Humphrey Jr.’s Farsighted will look to return to winning form Saturday with a return to sprinting at Gulfstream Park in Saturday’s $75,000 Any Limit, a six-furlong dash for 3-year-old fillies.
The daughter of Bernardini concluded her juvenile season with an off-the-board finish in the 1 1/16-mile Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs, in which she set the pace before weakening.
“I think she may be a sprinter, not that she won’t go up to a mile,” trainer Rusty Arnold said. “It was at the end of the year and she got a little rank on us. We don’t know why because she hadn’t in her first three races. Maybe it was the fact that it was two turns and we shipped and ran. It just didn’t work out.”
Farsighted, who was turned out following the Golden Rod, has breezed seven times at Palm Meadow, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, n preparation for her 2021 debut.
“We gave her some time. We were intending to give her some time anyway. We sent her to the farm for a while. She came back and everything’s been good,” Arnold said. “We’re in a good starting spot.”
The homebred filly rallied for fourth after getting away from the gate somewhat slowly in her Sept. 4 debut at Churchill Downs before graduating by seven lengths at Keeneland in her second start. She finished second behind next-out winner Joy’s Rocket in the Songbird Stakes at Keeneland on the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup undercard before unsuccessfully stretching out in the Golden Rod.
“She trained good. She was a pretty filly. Her first start was OK, but she didn’t get away good. She came back to win nicely and finish second in a good solid stake on Breeders’ Cup Weekend, and then she had a bad route race,” Arnold said. “She only has one bad race.”
Jose Ortiz is scheduled to ride Farsighted for the first time.
Peter Brant’s Boston Post Road, an impressive debut winner at Gulfstream, is set to make her stakes debut in the Any Limit. The daughter of Quality Road attended the early pace before drawing off to win by three lengths in a Feb. 7 maiden special weight race at six furlongs.
Trainer Chad Brown has given the return call to Paco Lopez.
Kinsman Stable’s Shop Girl, a winner of two of three career starts, figures to be a strong pace factor in the Any Limit, having set the pace before finishing second in the six-furlong Glitter Woman at Gulfstream two starts back. The Christophe Clement-trained daughter of Constitution is coming off a 1 ½-length optional claiming allowance at six furlongs.
Irad Ortiz Jr. is scheduled to ride Shop Girl for the first time Saturday.
Ian Wilkes-trained No Mo’ Spending is slated to see her third straight victory Saturday. The New York-bred daughter of Uncle Mo broke her maiden at Saratoga before winning the Oct. 1 Joseph A. Gimma stakes at Belmont to conclude her juvenile season.
Miguel Vasquez has the call aboard the filly owned by Randall Bluch, Six Columns Stables LLC, David Hall, Michael Steele, Jim Gladded and Gene Rice.
Legacy Racing LLC’s Coach Jer’s Joy, who was forwardly placed before finishing fifth in the seven-furlong Forward Gal Jan. 30, is slated to return to the six-furlong distance of his debut score in the Any Limit.
Edgard Zayas has the riding assignment aboard the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained daughter of Palace.
Mellon Patch Inc.’s Feeling Mischief, Shea D Boy’s Stable’s Shea D Summer, Ryan Racing Inc.’s Sheza Happy Girl, and Heehaw Racing’s Sweet Baby Raelynn round out the field.
Gulfstream Park Press Release
Photo: Roderick, (Coglianese Photos)
