HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Rolando dug in gamely through the final furlong to become a stakes winner for the first time after holding off Multiverse to register a hard fought neck decision in Saturday’s $115,000 Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park. It was another four lengths farther back to Joey Muscles who finished a non-threatening third in the compact six horse lineup.
Rolando was returning on relatively short rest in the six-furlong Hutcheson after having won his entry-level allowance condition with a wire-to-wire, 4 1/2-length victory when turning back to six furlongs here on March 2. A performance that earned the son of Vekoma a lifetime best 89 Beyer Speed Figure.
Rolando had to work hard in the Hutcheson after being outrun to the early lead by the stakes-winning Guns Loaded. Rolando ultimately disposed of that rival midway on the turn, fanned out to the middle of the strip for the stretch run before withstanding a determined bid from Multiverse under vigorous handling through the final furlong.
Multiverse, a well-graded maiden winner in his previous start here on Feb. 8, rated in perfect striking position off the early leaders, launched his rally while widest leaving the turn, loomed boldly through midstretch but was not good enough. Joey Muscles never threatened the top pair but was easily best of the others. Tapirs Valor, a tiring Guns Loaded, and Corta Fuergo rounded out the complete order of finish.
Rolando, a St. George Stable homebred trained by Fausto Gutierrez, completed the distance in 1:10.57 seconds and paid $4.40.
“He’s a horse with natural explosive speed,” Gutierrez said. “You always want a horse that goes long, but in this case, we have a horse for one-turn, and I’m happy.”
Epona's Hope takes Capitva Island
Epona’s Hope proved her victory five weeks earlier over the odds on Just a Care in the Lady Turf Sprint was no fluke when coming right back to upset that rival again here Saturday, by 1 1/4 lengths, in the $115,000 Captiva Island Stakes.
As was the case in the pair’s previous meeting, Epona’s Hope broke alertly, sprinted to a clear advantage, controlled the pace under clever handling by Joel Rosario before holding safe the 3-5 favorite when sharply roused from the top of the stretch to the wire. Just a Care, who captured the Abundantia Stakes earlier in the meet, came wide with her bid off the turn but could not seriously menace the winner while holding a half-length advantage over third place finisher Bandonarun.
The victory was the third in a row for Epona’s Hope, a 4-year-old daughter of Adios Charlie, who is trained by Eddie Plesa Jr. for the partnership of Leon Ellman, Glassman Racing, and his wife Laurie Plesa. The final time for five furlongs over the firm course was 54.78 seconds and she paid $6.80.
“It was our day, what else can I say,” said Eddie Plesa. “She’s a hard filly to catch when she makes the lead like that and even when they do catch her, she digs in and gives if that extra effort. If you watched after the wire, that other horse [Just a Care] never got by her on the gallop-out.”
Plesa said he has nothing picked out just yet for Epona’s Hope who has now won four of her five starts over the local turf course.
“She’s got a lot of options and we’re willing to travel and do what ever we have to do to enhance her,” Plesa added.
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