Mr. Prospector

Heiligbrodt Racing Stable and Michael Smurfit's GAFF (Maria's Mon) earned his

first U.S. stakes win in Saturday's

$100,000

Mr. Prospector H. (G3), gamely

withstanding the run of War Front (Danzig) by a neck on the wire, and in the

process gave jockey Shaun Bridgmohan a sweep of the three stakes races on the

Gulfstream Park program. The 26-year-old journeyman also captured the Hal's Hope

H. (G3) aboard On Thin Ice (Tactical Cat) and the Aventura S. with Doctor

Decherd (Louis Quatorze).

Trained by Steve Asmussen, the four-year-old Gaff entered the Mr. Prospector

with a two-race win skein and has now won three of four starts since returning

from Ireland. The bay colt began his career stateside, finishing unplaced in his

debut, and was then shipped overseas. He won only once from six turf attempts

under the direction of Dermot Weld, but recorded an excellent runner-up finish

to classic winner Footstepsinthesand (Giant's Causeway) in a Group 3 event as a

juvenile. Gaff has raced exclusively on the dirt in America, winning an optional-claiming event at Belmont and a Churchill Downs allowance. He now

shows a career mark of 11-4-1-2.

"I know his last race at Churchill was just a 'two other than' (allowance),

but it was visually very impressive and Social Probation (Jules), who was second (in

that allowance), was second in the King's Bishop (G1), so it was a pretty good

race," Asmussen said. "I want this horse to do what the winner of this race did

last year, and that's go to Dubai (Saratoga County won the Mr. Prospector and

then the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen S. [UAE-G1] last year). I'm going to ask

(the owners) to let me do that."

Gaff was close up from the start as Friendly Island (Crafty Friend)

eventually wrestled a slight advantage through an opening quarter-mile in :22

3/5. War Front and Gaff were applying serious pressure as Friendly Island, the

2-1 favorite, continued to show the way, recording a half-mile in :45 and

five-eighths in :56 2/5, but Gaff was moving boldly to his outside and moved past to

grab the lead inside the eighth pole. War Front, who dropped back when caught in

tight quarters entering the far turn, re-rallied on the far outside in deep

stretch but could not catch the winner, who completed six furlongs over the fast

track in 1:08 2/5.

Funny Cide (Distorted Humor), the 2003 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1)

winner, was never a factor from off the pace, finishing next-to-last in his

first start since early July.

Sent off at nearly 6-1, Gaff paid $13.60, $6.40 and $4.20. War Front, the 4-1

second choice in the field of eight, gave back $5.80 and $3.80. Friendly Island

held for third, only three parts of a length back, and returned $3.20. Nightmare

Affair (Out of Place) was another 5 3/4 lengths back in fourth. The $1 exotics

totaled $39.10 (exacta), $149.10 (trifecta) and $615.40 for the 5-3-4-7

superfecta. Storm Surge (Storm Cat), Sir Greeley (Mr. Greeley), Funny Cide and

Pisgah (Good and Tough) rounded out the order of finish.

Gaff, who has now earned $193,147, was bred in Kentucky by Earle Irving Mack

and purchased for $100,000 at the 2003 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He's out of the

winning Ionlyhaveeyesforu (Tunerup), who is also the dam of the winning

three-year-old Get an Eye Full (Cape Town), an unnamed juvenile filly by

Yonaguska and a yearling filly by Officer.