Photo: MEC
IEAH Stables and WinStar Farm’s 5-year-old Court Vision and
Starlight Partners’ 4-year-old Take the Points are both multiple Grade 1
winners on turf and will meet for the first time Saturday in the $300,000
Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1) at 1 1/8 miles.
Trainer Rick Dutrow sent out IEAH Stable’s Kip Deville to
capture this race last year while Court Vision was third as the favorite for
trainer Bill Mott. Dutrow now trains Court Vision and will be the favorite in
his first start since finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), beaten
only 1 ½ lengths for it all by Eclipse champion filly Goldikova at Santa Anita
on Nov. 7.
Jockey Robby Albarado flies in from New Orleans for the mount on Court Vision.
The son of Gulch has posted earnings of nearly $1.6 million and won the Jamaica
Handicap (G2) at Belmont
Park and Hollywood Derby
(G1) to complete his 3-year-old campaign in 2008 on turf after finishing last
of 13 behind Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby (G1) that spring.
Jockey Edgar Prado rides Take the Points for trainer Todd
Pletcher as he makes his first start since a disappointing seventh-place effort
behind The Usual Q.T. in the Hollywood Derby (G1) on Nov. 29 at Hollywood Park, although beaten only five lengths
by the winner.
A roan/gray colt by Even the Score, Take the Points was on
the Triple Crown trail early last year but found his best stride on turf,
winning the Secretariat Stakes (G1) at Arlington Park in early August and
Jamaica Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park in October before the trip to California.
After the top two in the field of six entered in the
Gulfstream Turf, another contender in with a chance appears to be Michael
Crawford and partners’ 7-year-old Yates Black Cat and Kent Desormeaux aboard
for trainer Dale Romans, a confirmed closer that would benefit from a fast pace
up front.
A son of Black Minnaloushe, Yates Black Cat looked very
sharp rallying to capture a tough ‘money’ allowance over the course here on
Jan. 22 by two lengths in his first start since finishing third in the
12-furlong Sycamore Stakes (G3) at Keeneland on Oct. 22 when beaten a neck for
it all.
Completing the field for the Gulfstream Turf are IEAH
Stables and partners’ Adagio, Cornelio Velasquez; Judson Streicher’s Le Grand
Cru, Jose Lezcano; and Daniel-Yves Treves’ Never On Sunday, Joe Bravo.
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