Twin Creeks Racing and WinStar Farm's Constitution (Tapit), undefeated in two career appearances to date, is set to make the hike into stakes competition in the GI Florida Derby Mar. 29. A debut winner over seven furlongs after missing the break Jan. 11, the $400,000 FTSAUG graduate defeated J “TDN Rising Star” J Tonalist (Tapit) and Mexikoma (Birdstone) by 3 1/4 front-running lengths in a stakes-quality allowance on the Fountain of Youth undercard Feb. 22.
“He's doing very well and we're planning to run him in the Florida Derby,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “It was really just a matter of picking out which race we were going to run in. I think he's been very impressive in both of his starts, so it was just a matter of trying to pick the correct Derby prep for him. This time of year they're all competitive.”
Pletcher continued, “We just felt like he's home, he's 2-for-2 over the track, and even though it looks to be a very tough race with Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile) pointing for it, we felt like it was the right spot for him. He's passed every test so far, but this will certainly be the biggest test he's had.”
Pletcher also issued an update on TDN Rising Star and GI Champagne S. hero Havana (Dunkirk), who was to have made his 3-year-old debut in the GII Swale S. Mar. 1 only to be scratched the morning of the race with a quarter crack.
“His foot looks good. We've got him back under tack, and we hope to maybe be back on the work tab next week,” Pletcher said. “It healed up well; we just didn't want to rush things and make sure we get it right. As far as quarter cracks go, it was a pretty minor one.”
Pletcher indicated that the gray colt, a $575,000 acquisition out of the 2013 Barretts March sale, could be back in time for the seven-furlong GIII Bay Shore S. at Aqueduct Apr. 5.
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