Pablo Del Monte makes dirt debut in Gulfstream Park Derby

Having tried Pablo Del Monte on both grass and synthetics, trainer Wesley

Ward may have found the one surface his horse likes best.

A pair of sharp breezes on Gulfstream Park's main track prompted Ward to take

a shot with Pablo Del Monte in the $100,000

Gulfstream

Park Derby on New Year's Day.

The one-mile Gulfstream Park Derby will mark Pablo Del Monte's debut on dirt,

after winning twice on the Polytrack at Keeneland to open his career before

finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Generous on the Hollywood Park turf November 30

in his most recent start.

Also part of the nine-horse Gulfstream Park Derby field are stakes winners

Aarons Orient and Best Plan Yet, along with Wildcat Red, who crossed the wire

first in the $125,000 Juvenile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream on November 9 but was

disqualified to second for interference.

Bred in Florida and co-owned by Ward with Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and

Susan Magnier, Pablo Del Monte returned from California to work a half-mile in

47 2/5 on December 17, his first look at the dirt. He followed up with a bullet

five-furlong breeze in :59 3/5 on December 24, the fastest of 20 horses.

In the Gulfstream Park Derby, Pablo Del Monte will break from post 6 under

Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux.

"He just couldn't be training any better, and that's the reason we're going

for it," Ward said. "I'm excited to get him on the dirt. He goes so well over

it, so we're anxious to see what he can do."

Pablo Del Monte broke his maiden on April 7 by five lengths going 4 1/2

furlongs, then was off until beating winners at first asking on October 13. Both

victories came in gate-to-wire fashion over the Polytrack at Keeneland.

Ward trained Pablo Del Monte's dam, One Hot Wish, to wins on turf and

synthetics in 2007-08 so he took a shot in the Generous, also contested at a

mile. With Desormeaux up, Pablo Del Monte ran evenly throughout to finish fifth,

beaten 2 1/2 lengths as the favorite.

"I raced the mother and she was a very fast horse, but she preferred the

Polytrack or the turf," Ward said. "This guy seemed to have an affinity for

Polytrack early on, and when I breezed him on the grass he breezed OK, but not

outstanding. I took a chance and took him out to Hollywood and he ran an average

race.

"It wasn't bad; it wasn't great. He had no troubled trips as far as the

running of the race or anything.

"But since I breezed him on the dirt here at Gulfstream, he just seemed to

love it. We breezed him again (this) week, and he looked great. There's no

question in my mind he's going to like it. The turf was always a question for

him. With the breeding he has, I didn't think it would be a problem but it

really was. I'm looking forward to this race."

Ward is looking forward to stretching out Pablo Del Monte, whose sire,

Giant's Causeway, was beaten a neck by Tiznow in the 1 1/4-mile Breeders Cup

Classic in 2000.

"He's an extremely talented horse. I'm anxious to see how far he can go,"

Ward said. "It's really the only question I have. I don't think the mile is

going to be any problem whatsoever, but, obviously, this time of year you're

thinking big things. You just want to see how far he'll go."

Fitted with blinkers for his first three starts, Pablo Del Monte has been

training without them and will not wear them in the race.

"He has a lot of natural speed just because of the talent he has, but I think

he's very ratable," Ward said. "Generally, for the most part at this time of

year I take the blinkers off most of the horses just to get them to relax and go

a little further. The first part of the year I try to put the blinkers on to

keep them more focused.

"But, he seemed to relax really well with the blinkers off, so I'm looking

for a big effort."

Favored on the morning line at 5-2 is Best Plan Yet, who has finished first

or second in five of his six starts this year for trainer Stanley Gold. The Hear

No Evil colt has won the last two, taking the Foolish Pleasure at a mile and 70

yards on September 14 and the 1 1/16-mile In Reality on October 12, and will be

reunited with Jeff Sanchez from post 7.

Trained by Todd Pletcher for owner Gary Barber, Aarons Orient broke his

maiden at Saratoga Race Course in August and followed up by winning the Kip

Deville Stakes at Remington Park on September 29. Most recently, he stumbled at

the start and had a rough trip in the James F. Lewis III Stakes at Laurel Park,

finishing 10th of 12. Second choice in the program at 3-1, he drew post 4 with

jockey Javier Castellano.

Wildcat Red had raced exclusively at Gulfstream, breaking his maiden on

September 14 and beating winners four weeks later. In the Juvenile Sprint, he

took the lead into the stretch and held it to the wire, crossing 1 1/4 lengths

in front but placed second for bearing out in the stretch. Third choice on the

morning line at 5-1, he will carry jockey Paco Lopez and 116 pounds from the

rail.

Off the board in a pair of graded stakes in New York, both at a mile, Grand

Arrival looks to rebound for Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito. The Harlan's

Holiday colt broke his maiden second time out at Saratoga on August 31. Jose

Lezcano will ride the 20-1 program long shot from post 8.

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