Trainer Todd Pletcher is pointing a pair of Grade 1 winners to the first major race for older horses in the country, the $500,000 Donn Handicap Feb. 7 at Gulfstream Park.
Leading trainer at the Gulfstream meet for 11 consecutive years, Pletcher said Dec. 11 he is looking at the 1-1/8-mile Donn for both Constitution, winner of the Besilu Stables Florida Derby in March, and upset Arkansas Derby winner Danza.
Constitution was most recently third in the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs Nov. 28, while Danza has not raced since his strong third in the Kentucky Derby.
"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 including the Florida Derby in his stakes debut. He emerged from the race with an injury and did not race again until finishing fourth in an optional claiming allowance Oct. 12 at Belmont Park.
In his most recent effort, the 3-year-old Tapit colt was beaten 1-3/4 lengths in the Clark 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."
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Danza went to the sidelines after finishing only three lengths behind leading Horse of the Year candidate 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 optional claiming allowance 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."