Caesar Kimmel, Philip Solondz and CG Zoe Stable’s HOST (Tabasco Cat) rated
just off the pace behind Navesink River (Unbridled) before coming up strong in
the end to win the $100,000
Mac Diarmida H. (G3) at Gulfstream Park on Sunday.
The 8-5
favorite, Burning Sun (Danzig), broke sharply on the firm course but was quickly put
under a hold in order to rate the pace. After the first quarter, Navesink River
had taken control and led the pack through splits of :25 2/5, :50 1/5, 1:15 and
1:38 3/5. Host and jockey Javier Castellano was able to get up in the final strides, however, to take the 1
3/8-mile race in a time of 2:12 4/5.
Leaving the gate at 11-1, the John Kimmel trainee paid $25, $11.60 and $6.40,
leading the $1 exotics of $171.70 (exacta), $891 (trifecta) and $7,646,10 (11-8-3-7 superfecta). Navesink River held on to second at 12-1, returning $12.80 and $7.60 while
Burning Sun took third to give back $2.80.
Change Course (Coronado’s Quest) came in fourth and was followed by Swagger Stick (Cozzene),
Broadway View (Broad Brush), Scooter Roach (Mi Cielo), Gigli (Brz) (Clackson),
Rio Guapore (Brz) (Cigano-road) and Last Answer (Langfuhr).
Macaw (Ire)
(Bluebird) and In Hand (Belong to Me) were involved in an accident on the final
turn which triggered a steward’s inquiry, but no disqualifications were handed
out. Colonial Bay (Pleasant Colony), Final Prophecy (World Stage [Ire]) and Tap
Day (Pleasant Tap) were scratched.
This was Host’s first stakes win, though he owns placings in two black-type
events. The five-year-old just missed last out in
the John Henry S. in October, finishing fourth by a half-length. He now owns a mark of
19-5-3-5 with $237,280 in earnings.
Host was bred in Kentucky by Faisal Al-Suwaidi and is out of the stakes-placed Rare Bird (Rahy).
The chestnut is a half-brother to an unnamed two-year-old colt by Forestry and an unnamed
yearling colt by Our Emblem. He was purchased for $67,000 at the 2001 Keeneland
September Yearling Sale.