Turbo Compressor wires United Nations

Turbo Compressor negotiated 1 3/8 miles in 2:12 4/5 and returned $7, $4.20

and $3.20.

"He really flew home," Pletcher said. "He was able to lay down the fractions

and that was just what we were looking for. He still came home in :22 and change

and that's hard to do at a mile and three eighths. This horse is versatile; he's

won from one mile to a mile and three eighths, so we have a lot of options for

him."

Air Support had two lengths to spare over Al Khali, who got up to edge

Freud's Honour by a neck for third. Slim Shadey belatedly made up ground in

fifth, followed by Brilliant Speed and Eldaafer.

David Flores, the rider of Slim Shadey, reported that his chances were

compromised out of the gate.

"He got slammed pretty good right at the start," Flores said. "I wanted to be

in the top three spots early on, but after a start like that I had no choice but

to be at the back."

Turbo Compressor's first graded victory boosted his bankroll to $920,960 from

his 14-7-1-2 line. At three last season, he raced only on dirt, with his

highlights being a 10 1/2-length romp in the Carl G. Rose Classic at Calder, a

score in the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga, and placings in the Grade 3 Pegasus and

OBS Sales Sophomore Stakes.

In his 2012 debut, Turbo Compressor finished third in the Florida Sunshine

Millions Classic, which has turned out to be a key race. The victorious Mucho

Macho Man just landed Saturday's Grade 2 Suburban Handicap at Belmont, and

Sunshine Millions runner-up Ron the Greek has garnered the Grade 1 Santa Anita

Handicap and Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap this season.

Switched to the Gulfstream Park turf next out on March 18, Turbo Compressor

rolled to a 5 1/2-length conquest in fast time. The free-running ridgling was

taken out of his game when wrangled off the pace in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve

Turf Classic, and faded to eighth in his only turf loss so far. Turbo Compressor

bounced back at Colonial, and has now won two straight.

Bred by Bridlewood Farm in Florida, Turbo Compressor brought $22,000 as an

OBS April two-year-old in training. The son of Halo's Image is a three-quarter

brother to multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Southern Image and a

half-brother to Stormy Dixie, winner of last year's Politely Stakes over the

Monmouth turf.

Turbo Compressor is out of the unraced Wild Event mare Dixieland Event,

herself a half-sister to Southern Image as well as Japanese Grade 3 victor Black

Bar Spin. This is the same female line as multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire

Jolie's Halo and Grade 2 scorers Sharrood, Cougarized and Icy Atlantic.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com