Centennial Farms' Nearly (Not This Time) was no worse for wear at Palm Beach Downs Sunday morning after an impressive victory in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream.
“He came back well,” Todd Pletcher said. “He was feeling frisky [Sunday] morning.”
Making his two-turn and stakes debuts in the 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds, Nearly stamped himself as a leading prospect for this year's GI Kentucky Derby. It was his third straight victory at the Hallandale Beach oval.
“We thought it was a really strong performance. He put himself in a good spot. They were going pretty quickly early on, but it seemed like he was in a good cruising speed,” Pletcher said. “We liked the two-turn stretch-out. It was pretty much what we were hoping for.”
The dark bay debuted with a sixth-place finish in his Oct. 26 debut at Aqueduct before posting a pair of overpowering victories at Gulfstream, including the most recent in a seven-furlong allowance optional claimer on Jan. 2.
“I haven't had a chance to sit down with anybody to talk about what we're doing for sure. I don't like making any decisions immediately after a race. One of the things we talked about was [Saturday's] race was his third race in a relatively short period, but we wanted to give him some two-turn experience and he handled that,” Pletcher said. “Now that he handled that, we're probably in a position where we can give him a little extra time for the next one.”
Among most likely scenarios, Nearly is more likely to train up to the GI Curlin Florida Derby on Mar. 28 at Gulfstream rather than return in the 8 1/2-furlong GII Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 28.
“Since he's 3-for-3 at Gulfstream, I think the Florida Derby would be a logical target, but we'll see how he does and how he bounces back, which will kind of dictate what we do,” said Pletcher. “I would say once we have that discussion, that's probably the most likely scenario.”
Pletcher-trained Audible, winner of the 2018 Holy Bull before going on to win the Florida Derby in his next start, finished third in that season's Kentucky Derby.
Pletcher has saddled eight winners of the Florida Derby.
Conversely, Albert Ciuffetelli, Steffani Brennan, Shining Stables LLC, BAG Racing Stables and Paul Braverman's Bravaro (Upstart), who finished second in the Holy Bull, is likely to return in the Fountain of Youth, according to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The New York-bred was closest in pursuit of the dueling pacesetters and held well in the stretch to finish second.
Bravaro, undefeated in two starts in New York-bred company at Aqueduct, last raced when winning the Oct. 25 Sleepy Hollow Stakes.
“We wanted him to show up around two turns off the layoff, and he did,” Joseph said. “He's a very nice horse and should move forward off that race.”
Bravaro's sire Upstart captured the 2015 Holy Bull before finishing second in the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby.
Joseph raised the possibility that Chris Fountoukis' Solitude Dude (Yaupon), whom he saddled for a 3 3/4-length victory in the seven-furlong Swale Stakes could join Bravaro in the Fountain of Youth.
“Nothing yet as far as we're we'll go. If he did stretch out it would be the Fountain of Youth,” Joseph said.
Undefeated Solitude Dude, a debut winner at Gulfstream last November, won Tampa's six-furlong Inaugural Stakes on Dec. 6.
“I think he's an upper-level talent. Two turns is a question mark, but I think he's an upper-level talent,” Joseph said.
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