BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred veteran Old Homestead tries for his second consecutive stakes victory and third straight win overall Saturday in the $100,000 Colonel Power for 4-year-old olds and older sprinting five-and-half furlongs on the Fair Grounds turf.
After leading from the start, Old Homestead was a five-length winner of the $75,000 Sam’s Town going five furlongs at Delta Downs last out on Jan. 3 after winning a five-furlong allowance race there on Dec. 11. That was his second start after returning from more than 17 months away from the races. In his last race before the time off, he was fifth in a five-furlong allowance at Louisiana Downs in May of 2023 in his only other career start on grass.
Trained by Brett Brinkman, Old Homestead is by Overanalyze out of Pearl de Vere, by Songandaprayer and has won half of his 12 career starts including the 2022 Lafayette at Keeneland. He has earned $382,920 for owners Marablue Farm LLC and Pegasus Stud LLC, who also bred the 6-year-old horse.
Tyler Gaffalione will ride Old Homestead for the first time and they will break from the inside post one.
Among his nine rivals are a pair of Joe Sharp trainees including Kavod, winner of the Duncan F. Kenner over a sloppy five-and-a-half furlongs at Fair Grounds in his last race on Jan. 18; and Gilded Ruler, who makes his first start since winning a second condition, $50,000 optional claiming going five-and-a-half furlongs on the grass at Fair Grounds on Dec. 13.
Kavod is a 6-year-old gelding with $908,753 in earnings for Baron Racing Stable and has won two of his last three. He also took a third condition, $100,000 optional claiming at Churchill going six-and-a-half furlongs on Nov. 17.
Kavod makes his first start on grass since an off-the-board finish in the Richard Scherer Memorial at Fair Grounds in December of 2023.
The son of Lea will be ridden by John Velazquez from post two.
Gilded Ruler will race in the white and royal blue colors of Highlander Training Center while searching for his first black type. Another 6-year-old veteran, Gilded Ruler is a son of Into Mischief with three wins, three seconds and two thirds in 14 career starts and earnings of $178,047.
Brian Hernandez Jr. takes the call on Gilded Ruler from post four.
Also set for the Colonel Power are Dhabab (Ire) and jockey Edgar Morales, Swift as I Am with David Cohen in the saddle, Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Mansa Musa (Ire), Demolition Duke will have Jose Ortiz up, Jareth Loveberry will be aboard Michievous Rogue, Let My People Go and jockey Luis Saez and No Nay Hudson (Ire) has Flavien Prat named to ride.
Return to the February 12 issue of Wire to Wire
