Harlan's Holiday Among 11 Ready for Donn

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Starlight Stable's Harlan's Holiday, who already owns one career Grade 1 victory at Gulfstream Park, here, will try and match his success in last year's Florida Derby when he faces ten rivals in Saturday's $500,000 Donn Handicap (gr. I) at 1 1/8 miles.

This is the 45th running of the Donn and isthe first Grade 1 handicap event in the nation this season.

The 4-year-old Harlan's Holiday, trained by Todd Pletcher, will try to become the first Florida Derby winner to take the Donn Handicap in successive seasons. Cryptoclearance won the Florida Derby in 1987, but did not win the Donn until he was 5 in 1989.

Harlan's Holiday will carry topweight of 120 pounds in the Donn, and John Velazquez will ride. The Ohio-bred son of Harlan drew the outside post, but was installed the solid 8-5 choice on the morning line.

Second choice on the line at 5-1 is Dogwood Stable's Windsor Castle, who showed his current good form by winning the Grade 3 Hal's Hope Handicap here on Jan. 11. Third choice is Glen Hill Farm's Bonus Pack, who finished second to Harlan's Holiday in an allowance tune-up here Feb. 2.

Harlan's Holiday prepared for his 4-year-old season at the new Palm Meadows training center until mid-January, when he was shipped to Gulfstream to train over the track for his 2003 debut. In that Feb. 2 mile and a sixteenth, he put in his patented run around the turn and scored by nearly two lengths over Bonus Pack. He now has a record of two wins and two seconds in four Gulfstream starts.

Frank Alexander has been waiting for the real Windsor Castle to step up for the last two years. However, the trainer thinks the 5-year-old has finally come into his own this season and will be able to fulfill the promise he showed as a 2-year-old when he won the Remsen Stakes (gr. II).

Windsor Castle suffered several setbacks at 3 and 4, but looked like a winner here Jan. 11, when he rallied strongly to win the Hal's Hope Handicap going away. Saint Verre was a length and a half back in second. It was Windsor Castle's first stakes victory since he won the Remsen at Aqueduct on Nov. 25, 2000.

The field in post position order with jockey and weight:
1. Mr. John, Mark Guidry, 114
2. Hero's Tribute, Edgar Prado, 114
3. Keats, Jorge Chavez, 111
4. Windsor Castle, Eibar Coa, 116
5. Saint Verre, Jose Santos, 114
6. Blue Burner, Jerry Bailey, 114
7. Free of Love, Pat Day, 113
8. Puzzlement, Cornelio Velasquez, 113
9. Request for Parole, Manoel Cruz, 113
10. Bonus Pack, Earlie Fires, 115
11. Harlan's Holiday, John Velazquez, 120.

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