Win for the Money looks for another win in Pegasus Turf prep
Photo:
Rebecca Gullett / Eclipse Sportswire
Three months after becoming a Grade 1 winner in Canada, 5-year-old gelding Win for the Money returns to South Florida seeking to rediscover that form in Saturday’s Grade 2, $215,000 Fort Lauderdale at Gulfstream Park.
The 68th running of the Fort Lauderdale for 3-year-olds and up, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the grass, is the fourth of five stakes, three graded, worth $825,000 in purses on an 11-race Pegasus preview day program that begins at 12:20 p.m. EDT.
Win for the Money, a Live Oak Plantation homebred trained by U.S. and Canadian Hall of Famer Mark Casse, has raced exclusively on turf this year after running primarily on synthetic surfaces over his first three seasons. The son of 2016 Holy Bull (G2) and Fountain of Youth (G2) winner Mohaymen kicked off his campaign with popular 6 3/4-length triumph in Gulfstream’s 1 1/16-mile Mr. Steele on May 25.
Win for the Money matched a career-best speed figure with his rallying 1 1/2-length upset victory in the Woodbine Mile (G1) on Sept. 14 at odds of 13-1, an effort that earned him a shot at the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) on Nov. 2 at Del Mar, his most recent start, where he raced wide early and tired late to be last of 10.
“I think you probably just draw a line through it,” Casse’s assistant trainer, Nick Tomlinson, said. “I think it’s hard really for any horse to go out to California because it’s a long ship. He’s come back and trained really well coming into this, so we’re hoping that he bounces back into the form that he had in the Woodbine Mile.”
Last fall, Win for the Money placed in a pair of graded-stakes over Woodbine’s all-weather surface, and this year he ran fourth by less than five lengths in the Wise Dan (G2) and second as the favorite in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Mile. Each of his last three starts have come at the mile distance, but last year he raced as far as 1 1/2 miles when third in the Valedictory (G3) and 1 1/4 miles when fifth in the Arlington Million (G1), the latter on grass.
“I don’t think (distance) should be a problem for him, honestly,” Tomlinson said. “We had him in the Arlington Million which is a mile and a quarter at Colonial. Things didn’t really go our way that day, but I don’t think distance is an issue. Hopefully things play out well and we can get the job done.”
Dylan Davis, making his 2024-25 championship meet debut over the weekend, is named to ride from post 5 in a field of nine as the narrow 5-2 program favorite.
Three-time Fort Lauderdale winner and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher entered the pair of Grand Sonata and Major Dude. Whisper Hill Farm homebred Grand Sonata is a 5-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro that has won two graded-stakes and more than $2 million in purse earnings from 24 starts.
Grand Sonata got his first taste of stakes success as a 3-year-old in the winter of 2022, winning Gulfstream’s Dania Beach and Kitten’s Joy (G3). He has won two of 19 subsequent starts, most recently in the 1 1/2-mile Kentucky Downs Turf Cup (G2) on Sept. 7 but has placed in four other graded-stakes and been beaten a length or less in two others including last year’s Fort Lauderdale.
“He liked Kentucky Downs. We ran him back on short rest in there and I’m glad we did. He ran a big race,” Pletcher said. “He’s had success going a little longer, as well, but we kind of wanted to back him up and see how he does and put us in position to look at the Pegasus.”
In his last race Grand Sonata ran a troubled 11th in the 1 1/2-mile Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 2 at Del Mar. Off at no less than 12-1 over his last four starts, Tyler Gaffalione gets the return call from Post 2. They are 3-1 on the morning line.
“He just got shuffled back a little bit last time and kind of ran evenly (against) the best turf horses in the world,” Pletcher said, “so I think it’s going to be interesting shortening him up in distance to see how he does.”
Two spots over in post 4 with championship meet-leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. is Major Dude, a 4-year-old Bolt d’Oro colt who is less than $14,000 from reaching millionaire status having run third or better in 11 of 17 starts, six of them wins, three in graded company including Gulfstream’s 2023 Kitten’s Joy.
Rated at 5-1 on the morning line, Major Dude has won two of his last three races, both in allowance company going two turns, July 20 at Saratoga and Oct. 10 at Keeneland, his most recent trip.
“Super consistent horse. He’s run well here before and we’re hoping that this race sets him up for the Pegasus Turf,” Pletcher said. “His last race was very good. He got a good ground-saving trip and delivered a good kick, similar to what he did at Saratoga. We’re very happy with him.
“He’s put together a very solid resume and he’s a really nice horse,” he added. “He’s a cool horse to train, just very straightforward and professional.”
Emmanuel won five graded-stakes, three at Gulfstream, for Pletcher between 2022 and March 2, when he defended his title in the Canadian Turf (G3). Trainer Mike Maker purchased the 5-year-old son of More Than Ready for $500,000 at Fasig-Tipton’s mid-summer flash sale and has raced him three times, the best finish being a fourth in the Turf Classic (G1) Sept. 28 at Aqueduct. Emmanuel (10-1) drew outermost post 9 with Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.
The other graded-stakes winner in the field is Fort Washington, who dead-heated for first in the 1 1/8-mile Monmouth (G3) June 15. Third in both the Canadian Turf and Appleton in 2023 at Gulfstream, the 5-year-old by War Front ran sixth in last year’s Fort Lauderdale and exits a third in the one-mile Artie Schiller Nov. 2 at Aqueduct.
“He ran real well in the Artie Schiller. He finished good; he just needed a little more ground. This race should set up perfect for him,” Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said. “He’s a very nice horse. He’s just probably been unlucky a couple of times, but he pretty much runs his race every time we take him over there. (A mile and an eighth) I think will be perfect for him.”
Hall of Famer John Velazquez will be aboard Fort Washington (8-1) from Post 8.
Completing the field are a trio from championship meet-leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., Mint Millions (G3) runner-up Cash Equity, Appleton runner-up Saratoga Flash and Brazilian Group 3 winner Lorenz, and three-time Grade 3-placed Siege of Boston, trained by Jimmy Toner.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Cash Equity Toronado |
6.14 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 2 |
|
Grand Sonata Medaglia d’Oro |
7.07 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 3 |
|
Saratoga Flash Laoban |
0.00 |
1st, GP AOC (10/18/2024-R6) |
Entered | |
|
Last Race Next Race |
1st, GP AOC (10/18/2024-R6) |
|||||
| 4 |
|
Major Dude Bolt d’Oro |
6.24 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 5 |
|
Win For The Money Mohaymen |
6.85 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 6 |
|
Lorenz Forestry |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 7 |
|
Siege of Boston War Front |
6.10 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 8 |
|
Fort Washington War Front |
6.38 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 9 |
|
Emmanuel More Than Ready |
6.32 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
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