Zetcher Locked and Loaded

By Steve Sherack 

Jaw-dropping GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red (Afleet Alex) isn’t the only comebacking 3-year-old that will be looking to make a statement in Sunday’s GII San Vicente S. at Santa Anita. 

Arnold Zetcher’s Punctuate (Distorted Humor)–the second foal out of the wildly popular unbeaten millionaire Peppers Pride (Desert God)–will line up for the first time since delivering a “TDN Rising Star” performance at the Great Race Place in his Sept. 27 debut (video). 

“[Trainer] Bob [Baffert] just loved the way he took off at the end [of his six-furlong workout in 1:14 Jan. 25], and he felt that this was the right race to bring him back in,” Zetcher commented. “We feel that he’ll be able to go long, but the seven-furlong [distance of the San Vicente] is probably the right place to start him out.” 

Away alertly from an extreme outside draw in his 6 1/2-furlong unveiling, the $300,000 KEESEP yearling purchase was quickly outfooted to trail the field of 12 through an opening quarter in :22.02. With Rosie Napravnik aboard, the 9-1 chance began to advance between rivals entering the far turn, was swung out to the far outside for the stretch, and finished like a rocket to win going away by 1 3/4 lengths. 

The runner-up that day Bronze Star (Tapit) has been sidelined since posting a next-out graduation going two turns for Jerry Hollendorfer in Arcadia Oct. 26. 

“That was kind of an amazing race,” Zetcher, the former CEO of the women’s apparel company Talbots, offered. “When he was coming around the turn, there was no way he was going to win that race. He was behind horses, had so much more to make up down the stretch, then, all of sudden, she got him on the outside and he just took off and ran like a locomotive. It was a great race to watch.” 

Punctuate has posted 12 workouts since, including four in December and three in January. He needed a brief break in the fall with a minor issue, Zetcher reports. 

“He came out of the last race with a little something, but just needed a little bit of time,” he said. “I’ve been out there for his last couple of works and Bob was really impressed with the last one. That’s why we’re going ahead here.” 

While admittedly not looking to get too far ahead of himself, the former chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners of California is currently holding a promising hand of 3-year-olds. Zetcher’s Firing Line (Line Of David), second, beaten only a head by Dortmund (Big Brown) in a thrilling renewal of the GI Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 20 (video), remains on schedule for next weekend’s GII Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita. Simon Callaghan trains the $240,000 KEEAPR purchase. 

“I kind of learned to take it one race at a time–we’re still three months away [from the GI Kentucky Derby],” said Zetcher, who had his pink and chartreuse silks carried by Midnight Interlude (16th, 2011) and Liaison (sixth, 2012) to unplaced efforts in the Run for the Roses. “Firing Line may be a step ahead at the moment, but with Punctuate getting started now, they both have really high potential to make it to the Derby.” 

The level-headed Zetcher continued, “But if there’s one thing I learned going through it, you just take it one race at a time and one day at a time. Let’s get past this one, then see what comes after that.” 

Zetcher may also be covered for the GI Kentucky Oaks if Popover (Lookin At Lucky)’s seven-length maiden win going a mile at Santa Anita Jan. 2 (video) was any indication. The “TDN Rising Star” and $100,000 KEESEP yearling acquisition has needed a little time with a muscle issue since, but will still be pointed for the big races later this spring, Zetcher said. 
MGISW Fashion Plate (Old Fashioned), an eventful 11th in last year’s Oaks for Zetcher and Michael Tabor, brought $1.2 million from Katsumi Yoshida at the FTKNOV sale. Zetcher’s operation currently boasts 35 head, including seven broodmares and 15 horses in training scattered between California, New York and Florida.

“I’ll tell ‘ya, it’s really fun to talk about these kind of horses at this time of the year,” Zetcher concluded. 
“We’ve got some pretty high hopes, but we’re controlling ourselves, and, hopefully, we can move forward with them.”

With the Triple Crown prep season beginning to heat up, the fun may just be getting started for Zetcher and company.