Robert LaPenta’s Dialed In, winner of the Florida Derby (G1) at
Gulfstream Park last year, is entered to make his 2012 season debut in a
one-mile allowance test Saturday. It will be his first start since
finishing fourth behind Shackleford and Animal Kingdom in the Preakness
Stakes (G1) at Pimlico on May 21.
“We started his season off in a one-turn mile last year in the Holy
Bull and he won,” said trainer Nick Zito Wednesday afternoon. “He’ll be
going two turns after this one. There are a lot of tough horses in this
race. We’re just looking for a good effort to get him going again.”
A $475,000 Saratoga August yearling purchase by Mineshaft, Dialed In
won the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) by 1 ½ lengths in his second start after a
winning career debut at Churchill Downs in November of 2010. He won the
Florida Derby over Shackleford in only his fourth start and rallied
from last of 19 to finish eighth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) before the
Preakness.
A notable difference from last year Saturday will be that leading
Gulfstream jockey Javier Castellano is named to ride Dialed In after
Julien Leparoux was aboard for all six of his previous starts.
Dialed In faces seven rivals with Lori and George Hall’s 4-year-old
Pants On Fire the most accomplished with Paco Lopez named to ride for
trainer Kelly Breen. The son of Jump Start also won a major ‘Derby’ last
year, capturing the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds before
finishing ninth next to Dialed In at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky
Derby.
Completing the field for Saturday’s allowance are Team Valor
International and Gary Barber’s Meistersinger, Stronach Stable’s Hunters
Bay, Herman Van Den Broeck’s Matty’s Trail, Blackacre Farms’ Flatter
This, Farnsworth Stable’s Dash Dot Dash and Derek and Kimberly Paul’s
Sky Venture.