Flat Out takes another shot at Donn

Although he didn't give a good account of himself in the Grade 1, $500,000

Donn Handicap

last year, Flat Out eventually proved he was far from being past his prime.

Transferred from trainer Scooter Dickey to Hall of Famer Bill Mott following his

fifth in the Donn, Flat Out later captured the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup for

a second straight year and finished a respectable third in the Grade 1 Breeders'

Cup Classic over a speed-friendly track.

Now seven, the old warrior will take another stab at Gulfstream Park's

premier race for older horses, which will be renewed Saturday at 1 1/8 miles.

Nine others will oppose the 121-pound high weight, a number of them with the

kind of early zip to ensure an honest pace.

California invader Ultimate Eagle, whose wire-to-wire wins include the Grade

1 Hollywood Derby, Grade 2 Strub and Grade 2 Oak Tree Derby, just failed to last

against a retiring Coil in the Grade 2 San Pasqual on January 5. Although he

will have to contend with Todd Pletcher's three-start allowance winner Graydar

to his inside, most of Ultimate Eagle's challengers for early supremacy drew

outside posts.

Bourbon Courage and Pool Play will join Flat Out in hoping for a pace

meltdown. Bourbon Courage, the Grade 2 Super Derby winner, subsequently missed

by a length in both the Grade 2 Indiana Derby and the Clark, finishing just a

head behind Take Charge Indy in the latter. Grade 1 veteran Pool Play, a very

deep closer, fell a neck short of missing Csaba in the Hal's Hope after making

up 15 lengths. The long-winded eight-year-old's prior stakes tallies have

included the 1 1/4-mile Grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup and the 1 3/4-mile

Valedictory at Woodbine.

The Donn's two longshots are Grade 1 Travers third Fast Falcon, a moderate

second in an entry-level allowance in late December, and the Grade 1-placed

Citrus Kid, who returned to his dirt roots with a Gulfstream allowance score on

December 19 following a 15-month layoff.

Bahamian Squall, who has finished first or second in his past six outings,

might be the one to beat in the Grade 3, $150,000

Gulfstream

Park Sprint Championship. The David Fawkes trainee stretches back out to

seven furlongs here after falling less than a length short in the Sunshine

Millions Sprint, where he broke slowly and was forced to make a wide rally over

a sloppy track. The Gone West colt was an easy 3 1/2-length winner of the

Sunshine State in his previous start, where he defeated returning foes Fort

Loudon and Close It Out.