Todd Pletcher continued his assault on Tampa's GIII Sam F. Davis S., winning his sixth renewal with the well-bred Destin. A debut winner after hitting the gate at the start going seven furlongs at Belmont Oct. 11, Destin returned to finish second as the 1-5 chalk in an optional claimer traveling a mile at Gulfstream Dec. 18. He held his own with a respectable fourth while making his two-turn debut in the GIII Lecomte S. at Fair Grounds Jan. 16 and was a bit overshadowed by his stablemate and 8-5 chalk Gettysburg (Pioneerof the Nile) here. Destin was placed in a perfect spot on the outside in fourth through an opening quarter in :23.92. He set his sights on the pacesetting Morning Fire off the turn for home, took over shortly thereafter and had an extra gear when challenged by the runner-up in the stretch to win going away.
“We are just tickled pink,” winning owner Randy Gullatt of Twin Creeks Racing Stables said. “John [Velazquez] said he was still extremely green in this race, but if we can get him to learn something and keep his mind on running the whole time, I think he will take another step forward. I think he definitely wants to go longer. He is bred to run all day long. He just has to keep his mind on running. Obviously, he has taken a liking to this track, so the Tampa Bay Derby makes a lot of sense, but we'll see. I really loved his pedigree [at the Keeneland 2014 Yearling Sale]; we have had a lot of luck with Giant's Causeway horses, and he was a very athletic and well-put together colt.”
The millionaire Dream of Summer, already the dam of GISW and current Airdire stallion Creative Cause (Giant's Causeway), has a 2-year-old filly by Giant's Causeway; a yearling colt by Graydar; and was bred back to Giant's Causeway). Destin's winning time of 1:43.67 is the second-fastest Sam F. Davis S. time ever, behind General Quarters' stakes-record clocking of 1:43.54 in 2009.
Saturday, Tampa Bay Downs
SAM F. DAVIS S.-GIII, $200,000, TAM, 2-13, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.67, ft.
1–#@DESTIN, 116, c, 3, by Giant's Causeway
1st Dam: Dream of Summer (GISW, $1,191,150),
by Siberian Summer
2nd Dam: Mary's Dream, by Skywalker
3rd Dam: Proper Mary, by Properantes
($400,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Twin Creeks Racing Stables, LLC;
B-James C. Weigel & Taylor Made Stallions Inc. (KY); T-Todd A.
Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez. $120,000. Lifetime Record:
4-2-1-0, $180,700. *Full to Creative Cause, GISW, $1,039,000.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A.[bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”][bullet ad=”56405″][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″][bullet ad=”bridlewood-farm-training-graduate”]2–Rafting, 116, c, 3, Tapit–Paiota Falls, by Kris S.
O/B-Wertheimer Et Frere (KY); T-H. Graham Motion. $40,000.
3–Morning Fire, 118, c, 3, Friesan Fire–Four Star Morning, by
Press Card. O-Mercedes Stables LLC; B-Cynthia Hipple (PA);
T-Keith Nations. $20,000.[bullet ad=”webb-carroll-another-wctc-grad”]Margins: 2 1/4, 3HF, NK. Odds: 4.00, 3.30, 3.90.
Also Ran: Awesome Slate, Gettysburg, Whatawonderflworld. Scratched: No More Chillin.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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