HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Ferocious, who was multiple Grade 1-placed at 2 before suffering through an eventful trip in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, moved closer to his 3-year-old debut after breezing an easy half-mile in 48.17 seconds Thursday at Gulfstream Park. Ferocious is trained by Gustavo Delgado, who won the 2023 Kentucky Derby with Mage.
Ferocious began his career with a flourish, earning a 96 Beyer Figure winning his debut at Saratoga before finishing second in both the Grade 1 Hopeful and Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. He ended his campaign finishing an eventful fifth in the Juvenile after encountering considerable trouble and getting shuffled back to last in early stretch before passing half the field with a rally through the final furlong.
With Javier Castellano aboard Thursday, Ferocious cruised an opening quarter in 24.10 and galloped out with tons of energy.He completed five furlongs in 1:00.93 before easing up three-quarters in 1:13.61 while making a very favorable impression in just his second work since the Breeders’ Cup and first in nearly three weeks. Castellano rode Ferocious to his eye-catching maiden win and again in the Breeders’ Cup.
“Everything we wanted him to accomplish this morning he did,” said Delgado’s son and assistant Gustavo Delgado Jr. “Javier was very happy with him, with the way he traveled. He’s got such a nice stride.”
Delgado said the Grade 3 Holy Bull on Feb. 1 was the original goal for Ferocious’s 3-year-old debut, although that plan now is up in the air.
“He missed a work, so it’s a day-to-day thing at the moment regarding the Holy Bull,” the younger Delgado said. “I’d say it’s about 50-50 right now. We’re not in any rush to try to make the race. We just might need an extra week or two. If we do, we’ll just wait for the Fountain of Youth.”
Delgado also reported that Victory Avenue, who has not started since registering a 97 Beyer while second as the 8-5 favorite launching his career on last year’s Pegasus Day program, is just a couple of weeks from making his much-anticipated return. Victory Avenue was stalked on the lead and ultimately overtaken by Speak Easy when beaten 1 3/4 lengths in his impressive debut. He has been sidelined ever since but has worked six times prepping for his return, including an easy half-mile in 49.59 here last Sunday.
“His last work was for the state veterinarian because he’s been away for a year,” Delgado explained. “And it usually takes a couple of weeks to get the blood work back before he can be taken off that list. He’s doing very well and after waiting this long, we’re surely not in any rush with him either, so we’ll get another work or two into him and he should be ready to start back sometime in the next two to three weeks.”
Skippylongstocking drills half-mile
Twenty-four hours after White Abarrio turned in his final major tune-up for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup, his stablemate Skippylongstocking did likewise about 45 miles north at the Palm Meadows training center. Skippylongstocking breezed an easy half-mile in 49.40 before galloping out five-eighths in 1:02.40, per Daily Racing Form clocker Donald Harris.
Skippylongstocking will be competing in the Pegasus for a third consecutive year, having finished seventh in 2023 before being eased after suffering from a heat issue in last year’s renewal.
Multiple Grade 2 winner Newgrange also turned in his final work for the Pegasus Friday at Palm Meadows completing five furlongs in 1:01 for trainer Jose D’Angelo. It was the second local breeze for Newgrange since being transferred to D’Angelo from trainer Phil D’Amato’s barn at Santa Anita earlier this month.
5-year-old coming in off big efforts
My Voodoo Doll and Fast Fixer come into Sunday’s $54,000 allowancefeature with only two things in common. Both are 5-year-olds, and both are coming off easy and relatively well-graded victories in their most recent starts. They could vie for favoritism in the 5 1/2-furlong dash restricted to Florida-breds on the Tapeta course.
My Voodoo Doll has had only five starts. Fast Fixer has already raced 24 times. My Voodoo Doll has won just once, that victory coming on turf. Fast Fixer has six career wins, five of them coming over the synthetic Tapeta surface.
But both My Voodoo Doll and Fast Fixer enter Sunday’s main event off arguably the best performance of their respective careers. My Voodoo Doll won a maiden race here Dec. 13 by 2 1/4 lengths while posting far and away a lifetime-best 81 Beyer Figure. Fast Fixer earned a career-topping Beyer of his own, an 84, for his 4 1/4-length victory under a $10,000 claiming tag second off the claim for current trainer Laura Cazares.
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