Pletcher points Constitution, Danza to Donn

Trainer Todd Pletcher is pointing a pair of Grade 1 winners to the first

major race for older horses in the country, the Grade 1 Donn Handicap on

February 7 at Gulfstream Park.

Leading trainer at Gulfstream's Championship meet for 11 consecutive years,

Pletcher is looking at the 1 1/8-mile Donn for both Constitution, hero of the

Florida Derby in March, and Arkansas Derby winner Danza.

"Right now, Constitution is pointing for the Donn. The question is, do we run

him in between," Pletcher said. "I don't know yet. We might just train him up to

the Donn. He came out of his last race very well. We know he likes Gulfstream,

and I think this track will carry him a little more than Churchill Downs

sometimes does."

Owned by Twin Creeks Racing Stables and WinStar Farm, Constitution won the

first three starts of his career at Gulfstream including the Florida Derby in

his stakes debut. But he exited the latter with an injury and did not race again

until finishing fourth in an allowance/optional claiming event at Belmont Park

on October 12.

In his most recent effort, the three-year-old Tapit colt was third, beaten 1

3/4 lengths, in the November 28 Clark Handicap at Churchill under three-time

defending Gulfstream leading rider Javier Castellano.

"Javier was very comfortable with the way he handled the first turn (in the

Clark)," Pletcher said. "Javier felt like he was more relaxed than I did

watching it, but down the backside he settled pretty well and I thought he ran a

big race. He's just getting back into form. It was only his second start since

the Florida Derby and only his fifth lifetime start."

Danza, meanwhile, has not raced since running a strong third in the May 3

Kentucky Derby, only three lengths behind Horse of the Year contender California

Chrome. The sophomore son of Street Boss shocked the Arkansas Derby at odds of

41-1, coming out of a third-place finish in a seven-furlong allowance/optional

claiming race at Gulfstream.

"He came out of the Derby and he was wiped out," Pletcher said. "He broke out

in a skin disease from head to toe and lost some weight, and we decided to just

stop on him and point for the Donn and work our way back. We'll see."

Among his promising juveniles, Pletcher said undefeated Hopeful winner

Competitive Edge is training with his string at Palm Beach Downs while Breeders'

Futurity winner and Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Carpe Diem and Champagne

winner Daredevil are both on the farm at WinStar.

"I'll talk to (WinStar president, CEO and racing manager) Elliott (Walden)

next week and kind of knock out a schedule for them," Pletcher said.

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