Originally published Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 6:11 PM
Hymn Book beats high-profile field in Grade I Donn Handicap | Horse racing
Hymn Book took the Grade I Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park in Florida, beating a field that included Preakness winner Shackleford and Belmont Stakes winner Ruler On Ice.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — Hymn Book took the Grade I Donn Handicap on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, beating a field that included Preakness winner Shackleford and Belmont Stakes winner Ruler On Ice.
Hymn Book, trained by Shug McGaughey and ridden by John Velazquez, ran 1-1/8 miles on a track rated good in 1 minute, 49.16 seconds. The 6-year-old gelding, who defeated runner-up Mission Impazible by a nose, paid $15 to win in the $500,000 race.
"This was a good field," McGaughey said. "We were concerned about the post position (10 of 11) and he kind of got caught out there on the first turn, but then got a good position down the backstretch."
Shackleford and Ruler On Ice were making their first starts of the year. Shackleford, favored at 3-1 in the field of 11, was seventh and 9-1 shot Ruler On Ice was eighth.
Flat Out, fifth as the favorite in last year's $4.545 million Breeders' Cup Classic in Louisville, Ky., was also fifth in the Donn.
Notes
• In other graded races on the card, Thunder Moccasin ($2.40 to win) romped in the Grade II Hutcheson for 3-year-olds; 5-year-old mare Snow Top Mountain ($11) took the Grade II Suwannee on turf; and 6-year-old Get Stormy ($7.20) won the Grade I Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap.
• Trainer Todd Pletcher got his 3,000th career victory, and the Hutcheson was No. 3,002.
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