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Well,they ran the Risen Star stakes at the Fairgrounds and the Fountain of Youth stakes at Gulfstream this weekend.
First, in the Risen Star Stakes, the much-hyped Pletcher-trained El Padrino barely nosed out a win against a horse that was going two turns and racing in stakes for the first time in Mark Valeski. El Padrino had ran a "huge race" on a wet track returning from a brief layoff in an optional claiming race. The Risen Star was really a disappointment in terms of energy expended. Pletcher always mentioned that he might put on blinkers on El Padrino because he is always too laid back, so we await the Lousiana Derby in a month. I don't know, this one has a Hansel-like pattern. I am looking at a possible disappointment in El Padrino's next race performance.
In the Fountain of Youth, Pletcher's other top gun for the Derby,Algorithym popped a splint and was scratched for precautionary purposes. So Union Rags returned with a visually impressive performance in his first race as a 3 year old but.....until the final figures are in.....was a weak energy performance expenditure race even though Union Rags won by 4 impressive lengths. Even splits of 24 seconds per furlong are more like a true Derby horse working out during the week before the Derby....We move onwards to the Rebel Stakes.....Good skill to all!
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