Mucho Macho Man Stakes begins Gulfstream’s trail to Churchill
Hallandale Beach, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Nine newly turned 3-year-olds have been entered for Saturday’s $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
The Mucho Macho Man Stakes, formerly the Gulfstream Park Derby, is a mile stakes that kicks off Gulfstream Park’s series leading to the $1 million Florida Derby on March 28.
Breaking from the far outside post will be trainer Kiaran McLaughlin’s Mawthooq with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. The chestnut colt, who will be making his third lifetime start, is owned by Shadwell Stable.
“He’s had a couple of nice works. He’s a nice colt and ready to go,” said McLaughlin. “We’ll see how we stand.”
Mawthooq got his career underway at Belmont Park on Oct. 11 with a distant second going six furlongs. On Nov. 26 at Aqueduct the colt ran away to win a mile race by 10 1/2 lengths with Cornelio Velasquez riding again.
“We hooked a very nice colt the first time out who we finished second to,” McLaughlin said. “The next out he won easy on a wet track, so you never know, but he’s a really nice horse.
“He always trained good. He’s straightforward. He was a little keen early in his last race, but Cornelio (Velasquez) did a nice job trying to slow him down early. He’s done everything right since that race. Ask me April 15th how we like him, but right now we like him a lot.”
Locally based trainer Stanley Gold will saddle Twotwentyfive A for a sixth time in the chestnut colt’s career. Owned by Jacks or Better Farm, Twotwentyfive A will be ridden by Jesus Rios from post 5.
“I think the distance will be good for him and it’s one turn,” Gold said. “We’ll throw out the two (Gulfstream Park West) races. He didn’t run good there, but he trained good before them and he trained good after them. This is a definite class check.”
Twotwentyfive A captured the seven-furlong $250,000 Affirmed Division of the Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Sept. 6 just five weeks after winning his debut start. He then finished fourth the next two starts with a fifth on Nov. 29. The colt has banked $203,038.
Here is the field for the Mucho Macho Man in post position order: Dekabrist, Oriel Chavez; Ami’s Flatter, Luis Contreras; Bluegrass Singer, Javier Castellano; A. Rod Again, Julien Leparoux; Twotwentyfive A, Jesus Rios; Honest, Paco Lopez; Juan and Bina, Edgar Prado; Brother Bobo, Gabriel Saez and Mawthooq, John Velazquez.
Post time for the Mucho Macho Man Stakes will be approximately 5:01 p.m. ET.
Categorized in: Horses