Florida Focus

Continued from page 12 racing did when I was a kid,” Palmer said after living and working on an Ocala farm for eight years. “I just loved it and never left the farm. I didn’t go back to my job.”

Palmer left the farm to work for a few prominent trainers before taking out his license earlier this year.

“I worked as a foreman for Danny Gargan three years ago just for the Saratoga meet. Following that I was working for Saffie Joseph as a foreman and then an assistant at Palm Meadows,” Palmer said. “I also worked for Armando De La Cerda for a while, as well.” n

Dublin Fjord Stables LLC, Racepoint Stables, Kevin D. Hilbert and Thomas E. O’Keefe’s 8-year-old Florida-bred Drafted won his fourth stakes of the year and added to his million-dollar bankroll with a nose victory ahead of runner-up Little Vic in the $130,950 Gravesend at Aqueduct Dec. 30.

Earlier in 2022, Drafted won the Grade 3 Toboggan in the mud at Aqueduct in February, the Grade 3 Runhappy at Belmont Park in May and the $106,000 Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park in June.

Drafted is trained by David P. Duggan and improved on his third-place finish in last year’s Gravesend behind winner Pete’s Play and second-place finisher Stan the Man. That was his second start in the United States after returning from Meydan Race Course in the United Arab Emirates where he was a multiple Group 3 winner.

He won the Group 3 Mahab Al Shimnaal Sponsored by Emirates Skywards and the Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint Sponsored by Jebel Ali Port, both at Meydan Race Course in 2019 and the 2018 Garhoud Spring Spornsored by Al Tayer Motors at Meydan.

Last throughout in the Gravesend this year as longshot Bezos set fractions of :22.58 and :45.38 while a length-and-a-half in front of Little Vic, Drafted and jockey Luis Rodriguez Castro wore down Bezos, Morello and Little Vic in deep stretch to win in the final jump and finish in 1:10.69 on the fast track.

Morello was another length back in third followed by Bezos and Three Two Zone. Amundson, Beren, Greeley and Ben, Repo Rocks, Smooth B and Synthesis were all scratched. Beren opted for the $100,000 Dave’s Friend at Laurel where he was second to Factor it In. Repo Rocks, Smooth B and Synthesis are entered for the Jan. 4 Blitzen at Parx Racing.

“I didn’t think we’d won,” Duggan said. “I thought second wasn’t a bad run. But when I watched the slow-mo [replay] I thought, my God, I think we got up. I’m delighted. It set up perfectly. I’m delighted for the horse and delighted for the connections. He’s a cool, old horse.”

Duggan said he scratched Drafted out of the Grade 3 Fall Highweight on Nov. 26 at Aqueduct to give him additional time between races. Drafted had finished fifth in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler won by Runninsonofagun during the Belmont at Big A meet on Oct. 29 in his previous start.

“He’s an older horse. You can’t be going out drinking every weekend – you can relate, you know,” Duggan said with a laugh. “Once he gets his freshening, he’s back and he can go at it again. He’s a famous horse at this stage. They’ll write books about him.”

Rodriquez Castro talked about Drafted and his late-running talent.

“He always closes really hard,” Rodriguez Castro said. “When I’m at the quarter-pole that close, he always gives me a big effort at the end. We won at Monmouth the same way. Thank God today he did the same. He always tries hard at the end and we got the job done.”

Drafted will now likely turn his attention to a title defense in the Grade 3 Toboggan on Jan. 28 at Aqueduct, a race he will contest for the third time in his career.

“It’s the next thing,” Duggan said. “He’s got the freshening and he’s got the momentum right now. That will be the goal.”

Drafted is by the late Solera Farm stallion Field Commission out of Keep the Profit, by Darn that Alarm. Bred by John Foster, Barbara Hooker and Field Commission Partnership, Drafted now has 10 wins, three seconds and four thirds in 33 career starts with earnings of $1,157,443.

Keep the Profit has seven winners from nine starters with Drafted as her only black type winner.

Drafted paid $14 to win. n

Maryquitecontrary took her winning streak to another level Dec. 31 as the Florida-bred filly captured her fourth consecutive race and is now five-for-six lifetime with her victory in the $125,000 Rampart at Gulfstream Park

A 3-year-old daughter of Double Diamond Farm’s First Dude, Maryquitecontrary won the $65,000 Sheer Drama as the only sophomore against older state-bred fillies and mares two starts back, winning by a neck over seven furlongs. She made the one-mile Rampart an easier task, winning by three-and-a-half lengths ahead of Colorful Mischief in second. The Rampart was also her first start since capturing an overnight handicap against older fillies and mares going seven furlongs at Gulfstream on Oct. 16.

Zainalarab set the pace in the Rampart, leading by two lengths through quarter-mile fractions of :23.85 and :46.87 as Music City Star trailed in second with daylight on Colorful Mischief racing in third. Meanwhile, Panici had Maryquitecontrary racing about six lengths off the lead in fifth down the backstretch before sending her six-wide around the far turn behind Allworthy, who was also making a late run.

Allworthy took over after six furlongs in 1:11.11 with Music City Star and Maryquitecontrary launching also their bids to the outside.

Maryquitecontrary shot to the front in the stretch and went on to finish in 1:36.78 on the fast track with Colorful Mischief crossing under the wire three lengths faster than Allworth in third. Music City Star, Zainalarab, Soul of an Angel and Indicia complet ed the order of finish. Illiogami was scratched.

Trained by Joseph Catanese III for breeder Rodney G. Lundock, Maryquitecontrary has now earned $220,780 from her six starts. She is out of Mary Kate ’n Kelly, by Mecke and was ridden to vic tory by Luca Panici.

Mary Kate ‘n Kelly has four winners from five starters with Maryquitecontrary as her only stakes winner. She was bred to Adios Charlie in 2022.

“She always shows improvement, especially today with the mile race,” Panici said. “She’s an excellent horse. She’s always improving. She was kind of green at first.”

“Mary is Mary. She shows up every time,” said winning trainer Joe Catanese III.

Her only loss came when second to Last Leaf in the $75,000 Azalea in her second career start at Gulfstream in July.

Maryquitecontrary paid $5.80 to win as the 9-5 favorite. TFH