Kertez makes his first stateside start a winning one (Coglianese)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.— Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey and West Point Thoroughbreds’ Kertez, making his North American debut, got his nose down on the wire to edge 14-1 long shot Harry Hood in Saturday’s $200,000 Pan American (G2) presented by Rood & Riddle at Gulfstream Park.
The 63rd running of the 1 ½-mile Pan American for 4-year-olds and up on turf was the first of five graded-stakes and second of 10 stakes worth $2.425 million in purses on a spectacular 14-race program anchored by the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa, one of the country’s premier Triple Crown preps.
Ridden by Joel Rosario for trainer Christophe Clement, Kertez ($6) completed the distance in 2:24.93 over a firm course. Tawny Port, the 3-5 favorite in a field of seven also trained by Clement, was a head back in third.
Bred in England, Kertez was purchased for $158,604 last fall in France, where the 6-year-old gelding placed six times in group stakes in 2022-23 including seconds in the Prix d’Hedouville (G3) and Grand Prix de Chantilly (G3) for trainer Andre Fabre.
In the Pan American, Kertez raced second to last through fractions of 23.74 seconds, 48.36 and 1:13.23 set by Candidate, winner of the Dania Beach and second in the Kitten’s Joy (G3) at Gulfstream last winter, under mild pressure from 25-1 long shot Public Sector to his outside with Tawny Port third along the rail. Rosario was able to swing Kertez to the outside leaving the far turn for the second time in the turf marathon, and came with a steady drive to reel in a determined Harry Hood.
Public Sector was fourth in a tight group finish, followed by Lucky Curlin, Candidate and Street Ready. Starting Over, winner of Gulfstream’s Mac Diarmida (G2) March 2, was scratched.
Clement won the Pan American for the third time, following Gufo (2022) and Flag Down (1997).
$200,000 Pan American (G2) presented by Rood & Riddle Quotes
Trainer Christophe Clement (Kertez, 1st; Tawny Port, 3rd): “I’ve been lucky in this race for quite a while, and I’m just delighted. It’s a new purchase for the stable. We got him at the sale in France and I always liked the horse. He’s a beautiful-looking horse, a very good-moving horse. He was trained by Mr. [Andre] Fabre in France. I’m just delighted it worked out.”
“I thought Kertez was very game. He looked great into the last turn. He was a touch keen early on. When [jockey] Joel [Rosario] took him out, he finished very well. He’s a beautiful-moving horse. Tawny Port was very unlucky. He was on the inside, a little bit tight, so he couldn’t quite go when he was supposed to go. He had a check a little bit but he finished very well and got up for third. Both of them will be trained with the Man o’ War as a goal.”
Jockey Joel Rosario (Kertez): “It seemed like, for him, the pace was kind of slow. But when you look at the time, it was not that slow. He showed who was the best horse. For a second, I thought we were going to [win] easy. But it looks like the other horse got away a little bit, and I got a little worried. And my horse was the best.”
