Hartford romps in debut

Another week, another impressive Tapit colt breaking his maiden for trainer

Todd Pletcher at Gulfstream Park. Last Saturday, Constitution overcame a tardy

start to win first out for WinStar Farm and Twin Creeks Racing. Hartford was

scratched out of that race, but duly took his spot in the winner's circle

Thursday with an effortless performance in the

5TH race for owner Stonestreet

Stables.

Acquired as a yearling for $700,000, Hartford had been training smartly and took

most of the money in the eight-horse field as the 1-2 chalk. He didn't have the

most alert of breaks but got into stride and went up to press the pace. The

towering gray colt took over entering the stretch and opened up under a

motionless Javier Castellano en route to a 5 3/4-length triumph. The final time

for the seven furlongs was 1:24 2/5.

H Town Brown completed the exacta for the

third straight time, while pacesetter Borseggiatore stuck around for

third.

"That was what we'd hoped for," Pletcher said. "He had trained well. I thought

he did everything right. He did break a half-step slow, but he recovered quickly

and put himself in a nice spot, and he finished well."

Stonestreet owner Barbara Banke was on hand in the winner's circle, along with

her racing manager, John Moynihan.

Hartford had drawn the rail when entered

against stablemate Constitution last weekend, and Pletcher confirmed that was

the reason for his withdrawal.

"We drew the one hole and didn't want to do that," Pletcher said. "We were

fortunate that this race went. We'll see how he comes out of it and then make a

plan."

The most expensive Tapit yearling sold in 2012, Hartford is a full sibling to

Tempted to Tapit, who placed in the 2010 Risen Star and Sunland Derby; and

Dance Card, the 2012 Gazelle Stakes heroine who was most recently third in

the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

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