Canada’s reigning Horse of the Year MIGHTY HEART set the pace in the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 18 in his first run at the Florida track and battled on for third place in the $150,000 race at 1 1/16 miles. FEARLESS, a giant son of Ghostzapper trained by Todd Pletcher, powered to victory and has likely paved his way to a start in the upcoming $3 million Pegasus World Cup next month.
Fearless was making his second start off a six-month layoff while bouncing back from his first loss at Gulfstream – a close-up second-place finish in the Nov. 21 Miami Gardens overnight handicap.
The 5-year-old son of Ghostzapper broke cleanly to track the pace set by Mighty Heart and pressed by Blue Steel along the backstretch. Following a half-mile in :47.76 seconds, Saez asked Fearless for run, and the Kentucky-bred gelding responded by making a three-wide sweep to pull alongside Mighty Heart at the top of the stretch and continue on to win comfortably under Luis Saez.
“It was perfect. The plan came together perfect. I had a lot of horse at the three-eighths [pole]. That’s why I went early, because he’s a big horse and takes a little time to get going. He did it perfect,” Saez said. “I want to give thanks to the trainer and owner. Todd’s given me a lot of opportunities and I’m very grateful.”
Fearless ran 1 1/16-miles in 1:42.19 for a 99 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form. South Bend rallied in the stretch to finish second, 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Mighty Heart who earned a 90 Beyer Figure.
Mighty Heart’s groom Siobhan Brown earned the Best Turned Out Award for her colt in the race. Mighty Heart completes his 2021 season as a 4-year-old with a record of 8-3-2-2, $377,361 in earnings which includes two graded stakes wins, one stakes win at Churchill Downs and graded stakes placings at Gulfstream, Mountaineer and Woodbine. The son of Dramedy is owned by Larry Cordes and trained by Josie Carroll.
The most curious part of the Harlan’s Holiday was that Blue Steel and jockey Paco Lopez soon realized they were being chased by a loose dog briefly in the stretch run. Lopez’s reaction aboard his horse is quite funny. Woof!
We got a dog on the track at Gulfstream
— Better Than Vegas (@btvbets) December 19, 2021
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