Trickmeister to face a star studded lineup in the Donn Handicap
The undefeated 5-year-old Richard Dutrow trained, Trickmeister, will make his graded stakes debut in the Grade 1, $500,000 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park on 11 February, 2012. Richard Dutrow would be keeping his fingers crossed, because the decision
to run, Trickmeister, in the Donn Handicap against a star studded lineup could turn out to be messy.
However, if any horse was ready, and deserved to run against graded stakes company it’s Trickmeister, and his credentials thoroughly support the decision after being undefeated in 5 starts.
The Kentucky bred IEAH Stables owned, Trickmeister remained perfect in his debut season, and as a sophomore he was cut loose in his maiden special weight race, winning at first asking and then downing his first stakes race called the Barbaro Stakes
at Delaware Park.
The son of Proud Citizen topped two six furlong sprints before he stepped into stakes company, as he was stretched out at 1 1/16 miles in the Barbaro Stakes, Trickmeister easily achieved his first goal remaining 3 of 3 at Delaware Park.
Next up was Saratoga, where he got pointed toward Pleasant Colony Stakes, which was further stretched out in distance at about 1 1/8 miles, but Trickmeister being in the form his life powered down the stretch only to stand proudly in the winner’s circle.
His sophomore season came to a close after winning the Pleasant Colony Stakes, and soon after he was given a time off, but no one expected the time off to be as long as a 14 month-layoff.
Though when he returned to the races, Trickmeister, proved that the time off was only a help to the bay horse, as he landed Harlan’s Holiday at Gulfstream Park on his comeback, going at 1 1/16 miles on 17 December, 2011.
Out of mare Afternoon Trick by Afternoon Deelites, Trickmeister now faces a challenge that exceeds his own level, because the Donn Handicap has reeled in the likes of last year’s Grade 1 Preakness Stakes winner, Shackleford, last year Grade 1 Belmont
Stakes winner, Ruler on Ice and the main protagonist of the race, Flat Out.
It will be a stiff challenge for Trickmeister, but the smart money could wind up landing on Richard Dutrow’s trainee.
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