Brendan Walsh being interviewed in 2019. KENTUCKY HBPA
By John Manley
Prevalence, the 3-year-old colt trained by Brendan Walsh, ran his record to two victories in as many starts by winning a first-level allowance race at Gulfstream Park on Thursday. Bet down to 1-10 here off an especially impressive debut at the same oval in January, Prevalence got into the mix after leaving the gate a step slow. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione applied only mild urging in prompting him to take the lead around the far turn and then gave him a good smack inside the sixteenth pole to keep him focused.
Prevalence got a mile over a fast track in 1:35.4, winning by three lengths. He paid $2.20. He also galloped out an extra furlong past the finish line.
“I think it was a good step up for the horse going from seven [furlongs] to a mile,” Walsh said. “It seemed like he got the distance good; the time was good. We can’t ask for much more than what we saw. It was very important that we did what we did today and not throw him in too deep.”
“It was probably not as flashy as his first race, but I think we’re going to get a lot more out of this race today,” Gaffalione said. “He was definitely more green. He was looking up at the grandstand down the lane. He kind of got lost by himself. I just had to remind him to keep to his task. He has a really bright future. I’m really looking forward to getting to the bottom of him.”
One thing Prevalence lacks is Kentucky Derby points. That will most certainly be uppermost in Walsh’s consideration about where next to race the Godolphin homebred. The Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 3 is a good possibility.
GALVIN FILLY IMPRESSES
Brendan Galvin might also be drawing up plans of a somewhat grandiose nature concerning Maybe I Will, the 3-year-old filly he trains for Fairview LLC. She easily won a first-level allowance sprint at Golden Gate Fields on Thursday, stepping up off her maiden breaker there in early February. The California-bred filly, making her third career start, settled off the early pace and then unleashed her rally at the top of the lane, drawing off to win by almost four lengths under Catalino Martinez. She paid $4.00 to win.
MORE MONEY FOR MAGEE
Kieron Magee has something that is almost as good as a money tree; he has Belle Tapisserie. The 6-year-old gelding ran off his third straight victory since the Wicklow native claimed him back in November. He scored by just over four lengths in Sunday’s first race, a starter claiming sprint at Laurel. Carol Cedeno, his regular pilot, put him on the lead out of the gate and kept him there to the wire. He paid just $2.60 to win. The gelding is now 11-for-30 lifetime. Surprisingly, there were no nibbles at the claim box, so Magee will likely just ram him down his rivals’ throats until somebody bites.
