Jockey Javier Castellano guides Eurosilver to the finish line to win Wednesday's third race at Gulfstream Park.
Buckram Oak Farm's Eurosilver, runaway winner of the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (gr. II), had little trouble in his 3-year-old debut, winning a seven-furlong allowance race at Gulfstream Wednesday by five lengths.Trained by Nick Zito, the 1-5 Eurosilver broke alertly under Javier Castellano and stalked the two leaders, Tenace and Seneca Summer, through fractions of :23 and :45 4/5. He collared Tenace at the head of the stretch and after a brief tussle, drew clear in the final furlong. Eurosilver covered the seven furlongs in 1:24 2/5, while being taken in hand in the final strides. Tenace held on for second over Hitthegroundrunnin.Of Zito's big three Kentucky Derby (gr. I) hopefuls, Eurosilver was the first to run following a pair of five-furlong breezes in 1:02 at Palm Meadows training center. Despite the son of Unbridled's Song having only the two breezes, Zito said he gets himself fit quickly.With Gulfstream opening Wednesday following the cancellation of Monday's card and most of Sunday's card due to hazardous track conditions, Zito had some concern about the condition of the track. The times and fractions of first two races indicated the track was playing extremely slow, but Eurosilver had no trouble tracking the fast early fractions.Zito now will have to decide whether to bring him back in the Florida Derby (gr. I) or look for a different race to get him ready for a probable start in the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I).
