Starting Over Leads Mike Maker-Trained Trio In Saturday's Pan American

Nice Guys Stables’ Starting Over, exiting a career-best performance to earn graded-stakes credentials, looks to make it two in a row as one of three Mike Maker-trained entrants in Saturday’s $200,000 Pan American (G2) presented by Rood & Riddle at Gulfstream Park.

The 63^rd running of the 1 ½-mile Pan American for 4-year-olds and up on turf is the first of five graded-stakes and second of 10 stakes worth $2.425 million in purses on a spectacular 14-race program anchored by the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa, one of the country’s premier Triple Crown preps. First-race post time is 11:30 a.m.

Scheduled as Race 6, the Pan American has a post time of 1:56 p.m.

Starting Over will be making his third start at the Championship Meet, after finishing second in the 1 ½-mile W. L. McKnight (G3) Jan. 27 and rallying for a neck victory in the 1 3/8-mile Mac Diarmida (G2) March 2. The 7-year-old Liam’s Map gelding also ran third in a 7 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance last spring on the Gulfstream turf.

“Starting Over’s doing great. Obviously, he really likes this track,” Maker’s assistant trainer, Nolan Ramsey, said. “He ran a big race first race off the layoff in the McKnight and came back and got the job done last out. He’s been training well and I’m really looking forward to seeing him run.”

His effort in the McKnight was the first race for Starting Over since finishing a troubled sixth in the 1 ¼-mile Canadian International (G1) at Woodbine, a span of 112 days. Overall, he has made 24 starts with five wins, two of them coming in six tries since joining Maker last summer.

“To be honest with you, I was a little more impressed with the McKnight than I was with his last race. That type of race off that kind of a layoff, he really showed up,” Ramsey said. “So, after the McKnight I went into the Mac real confident. He came out of the [McKnight] great and he ran the race we all expected [in the Mac Diarmida] so we expect big things from him Saturday.”

Edgard Zayas, aboard last out, gets the return call from outermost Post 8 on Starting Over, who went off at 41-1 and 11-1 in his last two races and has been in double-digit odds in eight of his last 12 starts.

“He’s always been a nice horse. He was a nice horse when he came to us,” Ramsey said. “He never really seems to get the respect. We’ve tried him in some pretty tough races and everywhere except the race up at Woodbine, he’s been right there for us. It kind of surprised me he went off at the odds he did, but he’s proved us right, so it was a good feeling.”

Also representing Maker are Lucky Curlin and Street Ready, both owned by Michael Hui. Street Ready was third in the 2022 Fort Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream and is winless in two races since being claimed for $100,000 last fall. Lucky Curlin will be racing first time off a $50,000 claim out of a fifth-place finish going one mile Feb. 29, also at Gulfstream.

“[Lucky Curlin] came out of the race in good order and has been doing well for us,” Ramsey said. “I think he’s a horse that will probably benefit from a little extra ground, too, so we look forward to letting him stretch out.”

Maker has won the Pan American two of the last four years, with Bemma’s Boy in 2020 and Therapist in 2023, continuing a trend the stable has enjoyed turning claimers into stakes winners, particularly with long-distance turf horses.

“We’ve done well in this race,” Ramsey said. “It’s right up our alley.”

An intriguing Pan American prospect is Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey and West Point Thoroughbreds’ British-bred Kertez, entered to make his North American debut. Purchased for $158,604 last fall in France, the 6-year-old gelding has placed six times in European group stakes in 2022-23 including seconds last spring in the Prix d’Hedouville (G3) and Grand Prix de Chantilly (G3) for trainer Andre Fabre.

Kertez joined trainer Christophe Clement’s string following the sale and has been working steadily over the winter for he and son and assistant, Miguel, at Payson Park for his stateside unveiling.

“He’s a horse for us that fits in that marathon turf distance which we love,” West Point’s executive vice president Tom Bellhouse said. “We’re super excited about this horse. Christophe and Miguel have been very high on him. This is a great spot to make his U.S. debut.”

West Point unveiled Atomic Blonde, a Group 2-winning mare similarly purchased in Europe, in last year’s Orchid (G3) on the Florida Derby day program, a race where she ran third. Twilight Eclipse sent a world record for 1 ½ miles on turf winning the 2013 Pan American in 2:22.63 for West Point.

“This horse came to hand nicely. He’s been training great, so we look forward to getting him going,” Bellhouse said. “We love being in these races. Traditionally, these kind of horses stay sounder. They’re horses that can [have] long careers, so buying a 5 turning 6-year-old isn’t a concern. If he stays healthy, I think we can have a lot of fun over the next couple years with him.”

Clement also entered Peachtree Stable’s Tawny Port, runner-up in the Mac Diarmida that has raced exclusively on turf since joining the trainer last summer including a win in the 1 5/8-mile John’s Call at Saratoga and a second to Maker-trained Cross Border in the 1 ½-mile Cape Henlopen at Delaware Park. The 5-year-old won the Lexington (G3) and Ohio Derby (G3) and was seventh in the Kentucky Derby (G1) in 2022 for previous trainer Brad Cox.

Candidate, winner of the Dania Beach and second in the Kitten’s Joy (G3) last winter on the Gulfstream turf; three-time graded-stakes winner Public Sector, most recently third in a 1 1/16-mile claiming event March 15 at Gulfstream; and Harry Hood complete the field.