BY GULFSTREAM PARK PRESS OFFICE (Edited)
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – If Green With MV Stable’s Diciassette can be judged by the company he’s kept, the son of Mitole should be regarded as a strong contender in Saturday’s $125,000 Hutcheson at Gulfstream Park.
The Patrick Biancone trainee has the distinction of having faced some of the country’s top colts of his generation, including last year’s undefeated juvenile Eclipse Award-winner Ted Noffey.
Diciassette heads into Saturday’s six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds that will be featured on Saturday’s 12-race program along with the $125,000 Any Limit, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies; and $125,000 Captiva Island, a five-furlong turf dash for fillies and mares.
Diciassette is joined by Florida-breds Wootun and Sweeping Shadow in the seven-horse Hutcheson, which has $25,000 from the Florida-bred Incentive Fund included in the purse.
Diciassette kicked off his career at Gulfstream Park with a debut win in a five-furlong maiden special weight for Florida-breds on July 23 and came right back to capture the $75,000 Proud Man racing six furlongs at Gulfstream less than three weeks later. He then sustained his first loss at Keeneland on October 4 in the mile-and-a-sixteenth Breeders’ Futurity (G1), in which he finished a troubled fourth behind Ted Noffey.
“The race at Keeneland, the race was too long. He’s a sprinter,” Biancone said. “We tried him at Keeneland, but he ran really good.”
Following a break of almost four months, Diciassette made his 3-year-old debut in the $150,000 Swale (Listed) on Jan. 31 at Gulfstream, finishing a weakening fourth in the six-furlong stakes won by a then-undefeated Solitude Dude. Solitude Dude returned to finish third in his two-turn debut in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2). Swale runner-up Class President went on the capture the Rebel (G2) at Oaklawn.
“He was a little fresh and a little too forward and very wide,” Biancone said. “But he ran a very good race for a comeback.”
Diciassette has breezed impressively at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, producing a pair of sharp bullet workouts since the Swale.
Biancone views the Hutcheson as a key race for Diciassette.
“We’ll know more after the race,” he said. “We know the horse has talent. We need the horse to show his talent.”
Out of I’m a Dixie Diva, by Henny Hughes, Diciassette was bred in Florida by Dominique Damico.
Junior Alvarado has the return call on Diciassette from post seven and they are rated as the 8-5 morning line favorites.
Resolution Road Stables’ Arbiter, who is undefeated in two career starts, was entered to make his main-track debut in the Hutcheson in his first start this year. However, trainer Wesley Ward said Wednesday that the son of Charlatan will more than likely be scratched in favor of the $125,000 Texas Glitter, a five-furlong turf stakes, March 21 at Gulfstream.
Phils Racing Stable LLC’s Sweeping Shadow enters the Hutcheson off a commanding seven-length victory in a $50,000 optional claiming maiden race at Gulfstream going six furlongs on January 3. The son of Girvin was coming off a troubled fourth-place finish in his debut in a five-and-a-half-furlong maiden on synthetic.
Sweepting Shadow is out of My Dawn, by Goldencents and was bred in Florida by Brad and Misty Grady.
Mario Gutierrez has the return call on the Lisa Lewis-trained Sweeping Shadow from post four and they are 4-1 on the morning line.
Silverton Hill LLC’s Wootun responded to the addition of blinkers last time out with a front-running victory in a five-and-a-half-furlong Florida-bred allowance on synthetic at Gulfstream. The son of Bridlewood Farm stallion Tunwoo, who is rated fifth at 8-1 on the Hutcheson morning line, won over Gulfstream’s main track while graduating in a maiden special weight for state-breds last September.
Wootun is out of Sonhadora, by Distorted Humor and was bred in Florida by the Baoma Corp. of Susan and Charles Chu.
Hall of Famer Javier Castellano is scheduled to ride Heather Smullen-trained Wootun for the first time Saturday and they will depart post two. Wootun is 8-1 in the program.
Completing the field are Sweeping Shadow and jockey Mario Gutierrez, I’m Sam with Jorge Ruiz up and Freaky Neeks will be ridden by Miguel Vasquez.
Return to the March 12 issue of Wire to Wire
