HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mindframe kicked off his much-anticipated 4-year-old campaign with a very workmanlike 1 1/4-length victory over Steal Sunshine in Saturday’s $215,000 Gulfstream Park Mile.
Mindframe was sent postward an overwhelming 1-9 favorite despite making his first start since July 20 when finishing second behind Dornoch in the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park. And while perhaps showing a little bit of rust off the layoff, Mindframe asserted his class to register his third win in five career starts and first since capturing an allowance race by 7 1/2 lengths at Churchill Downs on the 2024 Kentucky Derby undercard.
Breaking from the rail, Mindframe eased back off the early pace, set as expected by Encino, who brought a four-race win streak into the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile that included a victory last spring in the Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland. Confidently handled by regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr., Mindframe moved readily to command three wide near the five sixteenths pole, opened a comfortable advantage upon settling into the stretch then held sway while kept under pressure to the end.
Steal Sunshine dropped far back during the early stages after getting bumped soundly at the break, advanced steadily leaving the backstretch, angled out to the middle of the track to continue his bid in early stretch and was gaining on the winner at the end. It was another three-quarters of a length farther back to Lightning Tones who rallied mildly to finish third.
Mindframe is owned in partnership by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables. He completed the distance over a fast track in 1:36.25 seconds, paid $2.20 for the win, and earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.
“I thought it was a good effort, he was ready enough to win today and hopefully can move forward off this one,” said Pletcher. “Anytime you run a horse like this, a big favorite expected to win, you just want everything to go right and we’re happy just to get this one under our belt.”
When asked about plans for Mindframe’s next start, Pletcher said, “we know what we want do to with him in the summer, we just don’t know what we want to do before that.”
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