Having raced in California, Kentucky, Canada, Louisiana and his breeding state of Illinois, Midwest Thoroughbreds' The Pizza Man (English Channel) is set to feel the Florida sunshine for the first time as the 122-pound highweight in Saturday's GI Gulfstream Park Turf H.
The homebred won four of his six trips to the post during a productive 6-year-old season in 2015, including a successful defense of his title in the GIII Stars and Stripes S. last July. But instead of moving on to the American St Leger, which he annexed in 2014, connections swung for the fences and the ball traveled beyond the wall when the bay got home a neck to the good of Big Blue Kitten (Kitten's Joy) in the GI Arlington Million. A fast-closing second when short of his best trip in the GI Shadwell Turf Mile Oct. 3, he was an even fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf four weeks later and carried Mike Smith to a popular one-length victory in the GII Hollywood Turf Cup Nov. 26. A return trip to the Golden State for Saturday's GII San Marcos S. was scuttled in favor of a van ride from the Big Easy to the Sunshine State.
“We're looking forward to going there,” owner Rich Papiese commented. “Hopefully he can get the job done. We know there will be tough competition but we feel like we fit and we feel like we're going to be tough, too. We're coming to try to win. That's the idea.”
In the absence of the speedy Heart to Heart (English Channel), who held on to defeat Lukes Alley (Flower Alley) and All Included (Include) in the GII Fort Lauderdale S. Jan. 9, Shining Copper (Aragorn {Ire}) could take them a long way on the engine. Following a $62,500 claim last summer, the chestnut was used primarily to help set things up for Big Blue Kitten, finishing fourth (at 129-1) to his stablemate in the GI United Nations S. July 5 and third (at 27-1) in the Million. He failed to last after opening double-digit leads in the GI Turf Classic Sept. 26 and in the Breeders' Cup Turf, but he looms loose on the lead and may find this nine-furlong distance right up his alley.
Takeover Target (Harlan's Holiday) quietly built an imposing body of work in 2015, winning the GII Hall of Fame S. at Saratoga in August and a soft-turf renewal of the GIII Hill Prince S. at Belmont in October. The bay returned in the Fort Lauderdale and traveled every step of the way, but lost momentum a furlong out when checked for racing room and finished well, but belatedly, to fill fifth spot, two lengths behind Heart to Heart. He figures an outstanding value play in this tougher test.
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