By Steve Sherack
Destin (Giant's Causeway), just a nose short after leading in the stretch in a thrilling renewal of last year's GI Belmont S., is certainly one to watch for in the handicap division later this season.
The two-time graded winner followed a third-place finish in the GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga July 30 with a well-beaten ninth-place finish in the GI Travers S. Aug. 27, and was subsequently placed on the shelf.
Campaigned in partnership by Twin Creeks Racing Stables and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, the $400,000 KEESEP yearling purchase is out of 2005 GI Apple Blossom H. heroine Dream of Summer (Siberian Summer) and is a full-brother to GISW and leading young sire Creative Cause. He was bred in Kentucky by James C. Weigel and Taylor Made Stallions.
“Destin was given a much-deserved breather after the Travers,” Eclipse Founder and President Aron Wellman reported. “He was let down initially and recharged his batteries at WinStar in Lexington and he's now in full training at Bridlewood Farm in Ocala. Both Randy Gullatt [of Twin Creeks] and I have been down to inspect Destin a few times throughout the winter and we're both extremely pleased with his condition, energy levels and attitude.”
Destin is likely to breeze within the next few weeks, and if all goes according to plan, the gray could rejoin trainer Todd Pletcher by early April.
“The Twin Creeks and Eclipse team is in no rush to map out a schedule, as we'll just allow Destin to tell us when he's ready to kick off his 4-year-old season,” Wellman added. “The whole camp believes we have yet to see the best of Destin and that he will achieve our main goal this year, which is to win a Grade I. He's a big-time horse who came within a nose of winning a Classic last year and we have conviction he will make major noise in the handicap division the second half of the season.”
Wellman is also looking forward to the return of Eclipse's multiple stakes winner and 2016 GI Whitney S. runner-up Comfort (Indian Charlie), who has been sidelined with a stress fracture since posting a narrow tally in the Seattle Slew S. at Belmont Sept. 10.
“Unfortunately, Comfort came out of his last win with a stress fracture in his right front shin, which required surgery,” Wellman said. “It was a real punch to the gut for our team because he was in such tremendous form and he was on such an upward trajectory [posting four straight triple digit Beyer Speed Figures.”
The $45,000 KEESEP yearling, produced by the winning A.P. Indy mare Unkatzable, is back under tack at Payton Training Center in Ocala. Bred in Kentucky by KatieRich Stable, Comfort's second dam is MGSW Katz Me If You Can (Storm Cat).
“JJ Pletcher and Gerard Butler have done a tremendous job with Comfort and they've played a major role in his development and they are intent on getting him back to [trainer] Todd Pletcher in superb shape this spring. He's a lightly raced 5-year-old–if we can string together a four- or five-race campaign the second half of the year, we know he has a Grade I in him.”
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