B.J. Wright’s Ultimate Eagle is set to be flown from Southern
California to South Florida Tuesday to run in next Saturday’s
highly-anticipated edition of the $500,000 Donn Handicap (G1) at
Gulfstream Park. The 5-year-old will be making his first start finishing
second by a head in the San Pasqual Handicap (G2) at Santa Anita on
Jan. 5.
“We just thought it was time to test the waters,” said trainer Mike
Pender Friday from his Hollywood Park headquarters. “He’ll be coming on a
FedEx cargo flight Tuesday and I will be there, too. He’ll breeze here
on Monday before we fly. He’ll be making his third start back off the
layoff and the timing is right. He’s trained great. Martin (Pedroza)
will ride him.”
A Kentucky-bred by Mizzen Mast, Ultimate Eagle has made all of his
career starts at Southern California tracks and brings a 12-5-2-3 record
and earnings of $547,000 into the 1 1/8 mile Donn. Only three of his
races have been on the dirt.
After making his first three starts on the ‘Cushion’ track at
Hollywood Park in the spring of 2011 as a maiden, he won his next four
on turf at Del Mar, Santa Anita and back at Hollywood later that season,
highlighted by a victory in the Hollywood Derby (G1) in the fall.
Ultimate Eagle made only three starts last year, winning the Strub
Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita by 7 ¼ lengths in his first try on dirt
before finishing 10th in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) early in the
year. He returned from a nine-month layoff to finish a game second on
turf in the Citation Handicap (G2) at Hollywood on Nov. 23 before his
good try on dirt at Santa Anita in the San Pasqual.
Csaba Gets Final Tune-Up for Donn Saturday
Bruce Hollander and Cary Shapoff’s 4-year-old Csaba breezed an easy
half-mile in 50 2/5 Saturday morning at Calder under regular exercise
ride Oscar Perez in preparation for his bid for a fifth consecutive
stakes victory in next Saturday’s $500,000 Donn Handicap (G1) at
Gulfstream Park.
“He’s doing good and looked good this morning,” said trainer Phil
Gleaves. “It’s a big test for us and most of the horses in the race.
It’s a quality Donn field.”
Asked about how the race might shape up with several leading contenders
tending to run on or near the lead, the trainer said, “The good thing
about Csaba is that he’s proven to be so tractable. We don’t have to
rely on anybody else in the race to show speed or not. He makes his own
race.”
A son of Kitten’s Joy, Csaba has won eight of 17 career starts
including his last four. After scores in the ‘off the turf’ Tropical
Park Derby in mid-October and Fred Hooper Handicap (G3) in November at
Calder, he won the 1 1/16 miles Harlan’s Holiday Stakes here on Dec. 16
by 3 ¾ lengths and turned back for a game victory in the one turn,
one-mile Hal’s Hope Stakes (G3) on Jan. 13.