NEWS
Musketier to make ten-year-old debut in Mac Diarmida
Posted: Thursday, February 23, 2012 9:34 PM
MUSKETIER
Coady Photography/Keeneland
by Tim Nichols
Stella Perdomo’s Musketier (Ger) will make his ten-year-old debut on Sunday in the $150,000 Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park.
The Acatenango horse will be making his 45th career start in the 1 3/8-mile turf race, but just his fourth overall start at Gulfstream. He finished third in last year’s Mac Diarmida and was second in the Pan American Stakes (G3) last year at Gulfstream.
A multiple graded stakes winner, Musketier enters off a half-length win in the W. L. McKnight Handicap (G2) last November at Calder Race Course for trainer Roger Attfield.
Minister Colin will make the leap to stakes company after winning his two most recent starts. He enters off a nose-victory in a 1 ½-mile optional claiming race on January 21 on the Gulfstream turf.
“He just got better last fall and this winter,” said trainer Tom Proctor. “I can’t tell you why. He was kind of dull and didn’t train all that well last summer, but has come around and earned a chance in this one.”
An intriguing entrant is James Karp’s homebred Newsdad, who enters Sunday’s race off a 6 ¾-length romp in a 1 7/16-mile optional claiming race on January 28 on the Gulfstream turf. Trained by Bill Mott, the Arch colt has yet to win a stakes race, but did finish third in last year’s Palm Beach Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream.
Trainer Graham Motion will have a pair of entrants in the Mac Diarmida in Eagle Poise and Crimson China. Riverdee Stable’s Eagle Poise, winner of last year’s Valedictory Stakes (Can-G3) at Woodbine, will break from the inside post while Team Valor International’s Crimson China will start from the outside post in the field of ten.
Multiple Grade 3 winner Mambo Meister, stakes winner Simmard, multiple graded stakes-placed winner Center Divider, allowance winner Middie, and Dixie Emperor, a South American stakes winner who will make his U.S. debut Sunday, round out the field.
Stakes entries available at Thoroughbred Times
Tim Nichols is Internet content editor of Thoroughbred Times
