Horse Races At Gulfstream Park

Three-year-olds with Gulfstream races in their past performances ran the table in the Triple Crown races, and, one week after that sweep was completed, older horses who ran here this past winter took the two Grade 1 races offered in this country. Take d’Tour, a 5-year-old Florida-bred mare, won her second consecutive graded stakes Saturday, taking the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Handicap at Belmont. She had won the Grade 2 Shuvee Handicap there in her previous start. Take d’ Tour won her two Gulfstream starts by a combined 14 lengths.

Take d’ Tour’s Shuvee victory didn’t convince everyone of her quality and she paid $8.70 after taking the Phipps. While that mutuel was nice, Seek Gold’s tally in Churchill Downs’ Grade 1, $750,000 Stephen Foster Handicap numbed the senses. Seek Gold paid $185.40 after scoring by a nose, his first victory in 22 months. In his Gulfstream races this year, Seek Gold was third to On Thin Ice in the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope Jan. 7 and seventh to Foster rival Brass Hat in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap on Feb. 4. He was fourth to Saint Liam in the 2005 Donn Handicap. Nick Zito trained the 6-year-old gelding in Florida; the Foster was his first start since Ron Moquette took over. Brass Hat deadheated for fifth in the Foster, his first start since finishing second in the $6 million, Grade 1 Dubai World Cup in March.

Florida Derby/Holy Bull Stakes winner Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby; Bernardini won the Preakness and Jazil concluded the Triple Crown with his victory in the Belmont. One week later, the Todd Pletcher-trained 3-year-old High Cotton won his third stakes, the $200,000 Northern Dancer, at Churchill Downs Saturday on the Foster undercard. In his lone Gulfstream start, High Cotton was favored but had a troubled trip when last of 11 in an entry-level allowance won by Strong Contender Feb. 22. Since then he’s won the Rushaway at Turfway Park, the Sir Barton at Pimlico and his first graded stakes, the Grade 2 Northern Dancer.