HALLANDALE BEACH - Granpollo Stable’s Grand Mo the First is set to make his return to action in’s Saturday $95,000 Bear’s Den at Gulfstream Park, where the son of Uncle Mo will also make a return to turf in the mile stakes for 3-year-olds.

    The Bear’s Den will close out an 11-race program that will be co-headlined by the $95,000 Miss Gracie, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds carded as Race 8.

    Grand Mo the First has not raced since finishing off the board in the May 4 Kentucky Derby.

    The son of Uncle Mo had earned his way into the Derby field by finishing third in the March 9 Tampa Bay Derby  and overcoming a bumping start to finish a distant third behind Fierceness in the March 30 Curlin Florida Derby.

    “After the Derby, we gave the horse a break. He had tried hard for three races continuously,” trainer Victor Barboza Jr. said. “Now, the horse is training very well. He is very happy. I think the horse is ready for Saturday.”

    Prior to stepping onto the Triple Crown trail on dirt this season, Grand Mo the First launched his career last year with success on Tapeta and turf. The Kentucky-bred colt overcame a bad start to graduate at first asking by 2 ¼ lengths at five furlongs on Tapeta before coming right back to win a 5 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance on the all-weather surface by a neck. Barboza shipped Grand Mo the First across the country to run on turf at Santa Anita in the Zuma Beach (G3), a mile stakes in which he finished third behind Endlessly following a slow start. The Barboza-trainee was slated to make his final 2023 start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita but was scratched.

    “I always thought the horse was better on turf or the synthetic track. He’s won two times on the synthetic track and ran a good race in California on turf. Endlessly was one of the best 2-year-olds on the turf in the country last year,” Barboza said. “After the scratch at the Breeders’ Cup, the owner decided to try for the Derby.” Emisael Jaramillo has the return mount aboard Grand Mo the First.
           

    Grand Mo the First is scheduled to meet nine other 3-year-olds in the Bear’s Den, including Echo Papa Racing Corp.’s Freedom Principle, who returns to Gulfstream after finishing seventh in the Penn Mile (G3) at Penn National and the American Derby at Churchill Downs. The Jose Garoffalo-trained son of Flameaway had previously captured the English Channel at Gulfstream.

    Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will be represented by C2 Racing Stable LLC and All in Line Racing Stables’ General Ledger, who scored a front-running optional claiming allowance victory July 19 while returning to turf after four main-track appearance.

    Earlier on Saturday’s program, Barboza Jr. is scheduled to saddle Orlyana Farm’s Majestic Venezuela for a clash with eight rivals in the Miss Gracie.

    The daughter of Mendelsohn has finished on the board in all seven of her career starts, all of which were run on Tapeta or turf. She broke her maiden in front-running fashion on the all-weather surface April 7 in her fifth career start before scoring a half-length victory from off the pace in an optional claiming allowance on turf. In her most recent outing, Majestic Venezuela overcame a rough trip to finish second behind De Regreso in the Martha Washington on Tapeta.

    “She’s a very consistent filly. She was a late April foal. She needed more time. Now, she has more concentration in her races,” Barboza said. “Her last race was a very good race. When you check the replay. She was bumped at the start and then she had to go three and four wide, and she finished second to De Regreso, who is a very nice horse. This filly is in her best condition now.”

    Majestic Venezuelan is a half-sister to Venezuelan Hug, a son of Constitution who won five turf races at Gulfstream, where he capped his career with three straight stakes wins, including the Canadian Turf (G3) in 2021. Jaramillo has the return call on the Kentucky-bred Majestic Venezuela.

    Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has entered three fillies in the Miss Gracie – Mathis Stable Inc.’s Mojave Desert and Gentry Farm’s Candie Gray, who finished third and fourth in the Martha Washington; and Skymac Racing LLC and Stefania Farms’ Show Off, who is coming off a late-rallying second in an optional claiming allowance on Tapeta.

    Vicente Stella Stables LLC’s Mi Amore will be in search of her fourth win in her last five starts in her stakes debut. The Eniel Cordero-trained daughter of Vino Rosso is a Tapeta specialist who finished second by a neck two starts ago in her only turf start.

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