Todd Pletcher is having a very good weekend with three-year-olds. The day after taking an allowance race at Gulfstream with Discreet Cat and an Aqueduct maiden special weight with Raconteur, Pletcher again found himself in the winner's circle again 7-1 shot Star Channel in Gulfstream's eighth race this afternoon.
Sent off as the 7-1 fifth choice in a field on nine, Star Channel was sent straight to the lead by jockey Javier Castellano while carving out fractions of :22.89 and :47.10. Directly behind him were Africanist and Heiko, while heavily favored Margano -- a full brother to the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro -- was rating six lengths off the pace in fifth.
Star Channel continued to play "catch me if you can!" with the field down the backstretch and around the far turn. Following three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.62, Castellano asked his mount for additional run and they approached the final quarter of a mile 1 1/2 lengths clear of Africanist. A thrilling stretch run ensued, during which Star Channel gamely held Africanist, Heiko, and the surging Patrioticandproud at bay to win by one length, completing the mile and a sixteenth turf event in 1:41.58. Africanist just held off Heiko for second by a head, with Patrioticandproud another head back in fourth. Mucho Mas Macho, Argentine Tango, Margano, All for the Trip, and Jackwagon trailed the field. Margano did encounter just a little bit of traffic, and was only beaten by 3 1/2 lengths, but I doubt he was going to catch Star Channel even with a cleaner trip.
A good early-season goal for Star Channel could be Gulfstream's Palm Beach Stakes (gr. II) in March, a race that launched Paddy O'Prado on his way to a grade I-winning campaign in 2010.
-Keelerman
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