(Gulfstream Park notes)
Trainer John Kimmel just got back from a skiing vacation in Utah.
After the way Eli Gindi’s 3-year-old colt Break Water Edison worked at Gulfstream Park Jan. 21, he knows that’s probably the last time off he will get for a while as the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) trail offers no vacation time.
Under jockey Alan Garcia, the winner of the Nashua Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct Nov. 2, breezed five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 in his first work since Kimmel shipped the son of Lemon Drop Kid from Payson Park to Gulfstream to prepare for a likely start in the $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes (gr. II) on Jan. 30.
“We’ve given him the opportunity to grow up,” said Kimmel. “That’s going to be helpful in the difficult campaign. We just don’t want to knock him out in his first race back.”
The Hutcheson is seven furlongs, and Kimmel and Garcia had an open discussion about choosing that race over the $150,000 Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) at 1 1/8 miles on Jan. 31. The trainer concluded that the advantages of starting with a sprint outweighed racing around two turns.
“I just think debuting at a distance you’ve never run before, and after three months off, is a little much to ask,” said Kimmel. “He’s raced well at seven-eighths before. The concern is getting too sharp in a sprint race and we have to be careful we don’t overdo it. There’s no doubt in my mind that longer will be better for this horse. He’s got great tactical speed.”
Garcia allowed Break Water Edison to travel wide on the turn to keep the horse from doing too much in the workout. Despite the ground loss, the colt finished his final quarter-mile in :23 3/5 according to Kimmel’s stopwatch.
Break Water Edison has two wins from five starts with a second-place finish in the Saratoga Special (gr. II) last summer in addition to his Nashua victory.
High Hopes for Hello Broadway in Hutcheson
Elizabeth Valando’s 3-year-old prospect Hello Broadway proved he can adjust his speed on the fly when he worked six furlongs Jan. 21 at Gulfstream Park ahead of his seasonal debut in the $150,000 Hutcheson.
Trained by Barclay Tagg, the son of Broken Vow flew through the early part of his workout, but geared down considerably through the lane to post a time of 1:15 3/5.
“It thought it was really good,” said Tagg. “I thought the track was a little slow today, so it was hard to judge, but he went quick early and slowed down. We’re glad to have that work under him. He’s still got a big work ahead of him.”
Hello Broadway, a half-brother of 2007 Holy Bull winner Nobiz Like Shobiz, will be making his fourth career start in the Hutcheson looking to build on a second-place finish in the Nashua.
The Hutcheson will be a cutback in distance for the Kentucky-bred to seven furlongs. That fact is prominent in Tagg’s mind as he plans a final workout next week and the overall winter/spring schedule.
“The fact that he dialed it down in today’s work helps,” said Tagg. “We don’t want him too tight. We want him to get just enough to show some quickness at seven-eighths, but we don’t want him burned up and on the muscle in that race.”
Tagg has projected Hello Broadway’s schedule to run from the Hutcheson to the one-mile $250,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) on Feb. 28 and the 1 1/8 miles, $750,000 Florida Derby (gr. I) on Mar. 28.
Tagg also reported Charles Fipke’s 4-year-old Tale of Ekati continues to prepare for his season debut in the $250,000 Richter Scale (gr. II) on Feb. 14. The winner of the Cigar Mile (gr. I) in his last start (via disqualification of Harlem Rocker) breezed five furlongs in 1:02 Jan. 21 at Gulfstream.