BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Gabaldon, a winner of last year’s Royal Palm Juvenile in his first career start, will make his much-anticipated return and first start since March in Sunday’s $175,000 Mahony (Grade 3) at Saratoga Race Course. Trained by Jose D’Angelo for Eli and Alfonso Soued’s Soldi Stable and Qatar Racing, the nom de course of Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani and his brothers, the Florida-bred gelding is one of nine 3-year-olds who will race five-and-a-half furlongs on the Mellon turf course.

 

After winning the $110,000 Royal Palm over five furlongs on the grass in May of last year, Gabaldon shipped to the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting in Great Britain where on July 19 he led the US$139,000 Windsor Castle until the final stages until caught late by winner Ain’t Nobody (Ire).

 

A $9,000 purchase by Soldi Stable out of the Get Away Farm consignment at the 2023 Ocala Breeders Sales Company October Yearling Sale, Gabaldon then commanded a $300,000 final bid from bloodstock agent Fergus Galvin at last year’s Inglis Digital USA July Sale.  

Set at 8-1 on the morning line for the Mahony, Gabaldon has one start this year when third in the $102,000 Texas Glitter at Gulfstream Park on March 22. Gabaldon and jockey Emisael Jaramillo led that five-and-a-half-furlong turf race by a length-and-a-half while blazing through a half mile in :43.73. He battled into the stretch but finished a length and a neck behind winner Encanto (Ire) with Mahony-rival No Evidence second. 

D’Angelo reported that Gabaldon subsequently had tie-back surgery on his throat after the Texas Glitter but has seen the son of Gone Astray train forwardly since. D’Angelo had Gabaldon entered against holder horses in a turf allowance race on the Gulfstream turf in July but scratched in lieu of the Mahony. 

Gabaldon has several works since including a four-furlong breeze in :49 at Saratoga on Aug. 3, the 19th fastest of 81 half mile works that morning.

“He’s a special horse for me,” D’Angelo said. “We ran him at Ascot last year and almost got the victory over there. It was a nice moment. We gave time off for him and he improved and grew. I’m sure he’s going to be tough here.”

An earner of $99,355 in his three starts, Gabaldon is out of Valuable Miss, by Value Plus and was bred in Florida by Carol Ann Reitman, Susan Gannon and Warren Miller. 

“He’s grown a lot,” D’Angelo said. “He’s not a baby anymore and he knows what he’s doing. He always was a smart horse, but now more so.”

Jose Ortiz will ride Gabaldon from post eight.

In addition to facing No Evidence, who exits a third-place in the Grade 3 Quick Call at Saratoga on July 13, Gabaldon will again meet Quick Call-winner Governor Sam, the even-money program favorite who was sixth in the Royal Palm.

Trained by George Weaver for Bregman Family Racng LLC and Swinbank Stables LLC, Governor Sam rattled off four straight turf sprint victories after the Royal Palm last year. He broke his maiden sprinting on the turf at Saratoga in July of last year next won the $100,000 Tyro at five furlongs on the grass at Monmouth Park in August. He then won the $138,000 Exacta Systems Rosie’s at Colonial Downs and the $238,000 Indian Summer presented by Keeneland Select at Keeneland on Oct. 6, both at five-and-a-half furlongs on the grass. He finished last year with a third to winner Magnum Force (Ire) in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on Nov. 1 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

In two starts this year prior to the Quick Call, the son of Improbable was third in the five-and-a-half-furlong, $290,000 William Walker on the turf on April 30 then fourth in the an off-the-turf allowance going a muddy five furlongs on June 6, both at Churchill Downs.

Governor Sam will break from the immediate right of Gabaldon in stall nine and Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride.

Also entered for the Mahony are Innovator with jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., Jet Sweep Joe with Joseph C. Bealmear named to ride, Frankie Dettori has the call on Saturday Flirt, Spiced Up will have Junior Alvarado up, Ortley Avenue (Ire) and pilot Eric Cancel, No Evidence will have Manny Franco aboard and Ancient World will be ridden by Luis Saez.

Return to the August 9 issue of Wire to Wire