Thunder Moccasin rewarded those that bet him down to the 1-5 favorite when he coasted to a convincing victory in the $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes (gr. II) this afternoon at Gulfstream Park.
Under jockey John Velazquez, the Todd Pletcher-trainee broke cleanly and was sent away to race second early on as Il Villano set an early pace of :23.34. Wildcat Creek was back in third, followed on the fence by Tarpy's Goal and Quick Wit, who broke a step slowly and found himself in last place early on.
Following a half-mile in :46.89, Thunder Moccasin made a bold move to challenge Il Villano for the lead, gaining the advantage as the field turned for home. Quick Wit was beginning to make up some ground on the far outside, but Thunder Moccasin proved much the best, drawing away to win by six or seven lengths while completing the seven-furlong race in 1:24.16 over a track labeled "Good".
Il Villano held second by a neck over Quick Wit, with Wildcat Creek and Tarpy's Goal completing the order of finish. Ever So Lucky, the second choice on the morning line, was scratched due to the wet track.
The winner is owned by Starlight Racing and trained by Todd Pletcher. A son of A.P. Warrior, Thunder Moccasin has a number of options for his next start, including the $150,000 Swale Stakes (gr. II) on March 10th and the $1,000,000 Florida Derby (gr. I) on March 31st.
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