The GI Donn H., featuring a field of eight, headlines a blockbuster 13-race card at Gulfstream Park Saturday.
Donegal Racing's Keen Ice (Curlin), the only horse to defeat Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) last season, makes his 4-year-old debut in the Donn. He got going too late to finish a close fourth when last seen in the GI Clark H. at Churchill Nov. 27.
“We freshened him up after the race at Churchill and he's come back here and has breezed phenomenal,” trainer Dale Romans said. “He's gotten better and better. He's as good as he's ever been. The setup–there's a lot of it that goes against him. But he's coming into it in such good shape. He's going to run a big race.”
Trainer Todd Pletcher will be well-represented by three charges. The versatile Mshawish (Medaglia d'Oro), winner of last year's GI Gulfstream Park Turf H., seeks his first top-level win on dirt after posting a game neck tally over Valid (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GIII Hal's Hope S. here Jan. 9. Itsaknockout (Lemon Drop Kid), winner via disqualification in the 2015 GII Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth S., followed a ninth-place finish in the GI Kentucky Derby with an impressive optional claiming win in Hallandale off the layoff Dec. 31. Harlan's Holiday S. runner-up Madefromlucky (Lookin At Lucky), hero of last year's GII Peter Pan S. and GII West Virginia Derby, rounds out the Pletcher trio.
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