Having won on the opening day of this Gulfstream meeting, Quality Road will be a short price favourite to beat nine rivals in the 53rd running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Donn Handicap.
Quality Road was returning from three months off after failing to make the gate in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita, so last year’s Florida Derby winner, and one time Kentucky Derby favourite, will be in peak condition for this historic handicap.
As a three-year-old, Quality Road won both the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby at Gulfstream in classy style to elevate himself to the front of the futures betting for the ‘Run For The Roses’, but he had a series of physical problems in the spring, mainly with quarter-cracks and was not seen out on the track for four months.
On his comeback start in the Amsterdam Stakes over a sprint trip, Quality Road smashed the Saratoga track record, before going to slightly disappoint behind Summer Bird in the Travers Stakes. Another placed effort behind the Belmont Stakes winner followed, before his abortive trip to Santa Anita in the autumn.
Quality Road’s win in the Hal’s Hope showed him back to his best and he will be the runner to beat on Saturday night.
The main danger to the market leader looks likely to be Grade winner Duke of Mischief. The four-year-old posted a career best speed rating when winning his first start of 2010 in the Fort Lauderdale Stakes. That was his first run for three months, so some improvement can be expected.
As a three-year-old, Duke Of Mischief won the 2009 Iowa Derby when defeating a good quality field. Physically, he looks the sort to keep improving and he could step up to be a consistent Grade One performer this year.
Past the Point comes to the big race following a couple of second placed efforts in the Mr. Prospector Stakes and Bold Ruler Handicap. These races were both Grade 3 sprints, and although he has won at this extended mile trip, he could struggle to figure in such a hot race over a distance beyond his best.
Kiss the Kid was only a neck behind Duke of Mischief in the Fort Lauderdale, so is another runner in the Donn that could make the frame. The speed figure he posted last time was his best since 2007, so it looks like the Kid is back and could hit the board at Gulfstream.