Robert LaPenta’s Dialed In , winner of the Florida Derby (gr. I) last year, is to make his 2012 season debut in a one-mile allowance test at Gulfstream Park March 3.
The $67,100 optional claiming event around one turn will be his first start since finishing fourth behind Shackleford and Animal Kingdom in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico May 21.
“We started his season off in a one-turn mile last year in the Holy Bull and he won,” said trainer Nick Zito Feb. 29. “He’ll be going two turns after this one. There are a lot of tough horses in this race. We’re just looking for a good effort to get him going again.”
A $475,000 Saratoga August yearling purchase, the son of Mineshaft won the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) by 1 ½ lengths in his second start after a winning career debut at Churchill Downs in November 2010. He won the Florida Derby over Shackleford in only his fourth start and rallied from last of 19 to finish eighth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by YUum! Brands (gr. I).
Leading Gulfstream jockey Javier Castellano is named to ride Dialed In. Julien Leparoux was aboard for all six of the colt's previous starts.
Dialed In faces seven rivals with Lori and George Hall’s 4-year-old Pants On Fire the most accomplished. Paco Lopez is named to ride for trainer Kelly Breen. The son of Jump Start won the Louisiana Derby (gr. II) at Fair Grounds in 2011 before finishing ninth in the Kentucky Derby.
Completing the field for Saturday’s allowance are Team Valor International and Gary Barber’s Meistersinger, Stronach Stable’s Hunters Bay , Herman Van Den Broeck’s Matty's Trail, Blackacre Farms’ Flatter This, Farnsworth Stable’s Dash Dot Dash, and Derek and Kimberly Paul’s Sky Venture.
