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Doctor Decherd prescribes Aventura victory

Doctor Decherd (inside) surprised at 14-1 in the Aventura (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com) Making his stakes debut a winning one, Mike McCarty's DOCTOR DECHERD (Louis Quatorze) prevailed by a nose after a stirring stretch duel with Itsallboutthechase (Devil His Due) in the $125,000 Aventura S. at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. Piloted by Shaun Bridgmohan for trainer Steve Asmussen, the dark bay three-year-old stopped the timer in 1:37 3/5 for the one-mile test, the first in a series of stakes leading to the April 1 Florida Derby (G1). The 9-5 favorite, In Summation (Put It Back), battled Little Cliff (Gulch) through splits of :23 1/5 and :46, with Doctor Decherd tracking in fourth. By the time the field had gone six furlongs in 1:11 2/5, Little Cliff began to backpedal, and In Summation was under a ride himself. Itsallboutthechase made an eyecatching move on the far turn, looping the field and giving every impression that he would sail right on past, but on his inside Doctor Decherd likewise moved smoothly into contention. As In Summation gave way, the stage was set for an all-out struggle between the two closers. Itsallboutthechase seemed to have greater momentum at first, but he began to stall, while Doctor Decherd was visibly reaching as though his very life depended on it. At the wire, Doctor Dechard's fierce determination won him the victory.

My Golden Song (Unbridled's Song) got up for third, 5 1/4 lengths in arrears. Big Lover (Ecton Park) was another length back in fourth, followed by In Summation, Saint Daimon (Saint Ballado), Catcominatcha (Tale of the Cat), Little Cliff, D' Broken Speed (Broken Vow), Dixie Swinger (Unbridled's Song), Liquoreux (Carson City) and Lake Kerr (Precocity). Corinthian (Pulpit) was scratched at the gate by the track veterinarian, and Barcola (Old Trieste) was withdrawn earlier in the day.

Dismissed at odds of more than 14-1, Doctor Decherd paid $31, $12.40 and $6.80 while keying the $1 exotics of $161 (exacta), $1,431.10 (trifecta) and $20,736 (4-10-1-2 superfecta).

"His race today was everything you could hope for," Asmussen said. "In his last race at Churchill (when finishing a distant fourth in a November 25 allowance), he didn't get away very well and that hurt his chances in a big field. I was very concerned about the size of the field today. He's a big horse but everything seemed to come together."

"When we made the lead, he opened up a little bit and I guess he relaxed, but that other horse came up alongside him, and he really tried to go after him," Bridgmohan explained. "I went to him left-handed, and he just kept on coming back. It was just a gutsy effort, just like he always gives us."

Bred by the storied Calumet Farm in Kentucky, Doctor Decherd is out of the winning Proper Reality mare Hidden Pleasure, who also has produced an unnamed juvenile colt by Cat Thief. Hidden Pleasure's granddam is the multiple Grade 1-winning turf queen Sabin (Lyphard).

Sold for a meager $11,000 in the 2003 Keeneland November sale as a weanling, Doctor Decherd brought $70,000 at the 2004 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He was purchased by his current connections for $100,000 at the Fasig-Tipton February Sale of two-year-olds in training.

Doctor Decherd's career mark stands at 4-2-0-0 with a bankroll of $110,195. Plans are for him to contest the March 4 Fountain of Youth S. (G2).

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