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Corinthian shows heart in Gulfstream Park H.

Centennial Farms' CORINTHIAN (Pulpit) took over turning for home and was resilient in holding off Hesanoldsalt (Broad Brush) and A. P. Arrow (A.P. Indy) to the wire in taking the $350,000 Gulfstream Park H. (G2) on Saturday. Trained by James Jerkens and ridden by Javier Castellano, the four-year-old colt finished off 1 3/16 miles on the fast track in 1:55 in earning his first stakes win. The winner was sent off at even money and rewarded backers with mutuels of $4, $2.80 and $2.10, while keying skimpy $1 exotics of $5 (exacta), $8.10 (trifecta) and $19.90 (3-1-6-2 superfecta).

Noble Causeway (Giant's Causeway) established the early lead, setting fractions of :24, :48 1/5 and 1:12 1/5 for the opening six furlongs with Corinthian right on his flank. Approaching the final turn, Corinthian asserted himself on the outside while Hesanoldsalt began his charge along the rail. Corinthian opened a 1 1/2-length advantage in midstretch, reaching one mile in 1:36, but appeared to tire some late and had more work to do before getting his picture taken. A stubborn Hesanoldsalt switched to the two-path while A. P. Arrow was picking up momentum on the outside, but Corinthian was not to be denied.

"I thought Hesanoldsalt was going to get him, but he dug down," Jerkens stated. "Little by little he's learning how to act. Last year, he was nervous and ornery. Now he's not nervous. He's just ornery."

Hesanoldsalt was a neck back in second as the nearly 3-1 third choice, while A. P. Arrow was another half-length back. The runner-up paid $3 and $2.10 while the third-place runner returned $2.10 as the 5-2 second choice. Noble Causeway, Rehoboth (Wagon Limit) and Summer Book (Notebook) completed the order of finish.

Corinthian finished first in last year's Fountain of Youth S. (G2), but was placed third following a disqualification. The talented four-year-old sports a lifetime mark of 7-4-1-2, $328,000.

The winner was bred in the Bluegrass State by Gracefield Equine and Hargus Sexton, and attracted a bid of $385,000 at the 2004 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August Select Yearling Sale. He was produced from the unraced Multiply (Easy Goer) and was preceded in stakes glory by 1999 San Rafael S. (G2) hero Desert Hero (Sea Hero). Corinthian has a three-year-old half-brother named Vitruvius (E Dubai), who broke his maiden at first asking last month, a two-year-old full sister named Be Fruitful and an unnamed yearling half-sister by Silver Deputy.


 

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