First Prediction Has
Enough Gas To Capture Third Straight
by Fran Labelle
Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel Staff Writer
Monday May 11, 1987
HALLENDALE - The photos had been taken, horse and jockey dutifully kissed
and Janet Del Castillo was about to answer any questions about First Prediction's
2 1/2 length victory in Sunday's $62,7000 Very One Handicap at Gulfstream.
"Do you think we can tell her how we ran out of gas on the turnpike now?,
" said her son, Alex.
"Don't tell me any more," Del Castillo said.
As it turns out, Alex and his brother Hernando, ran out of gas near the Pompano
Beach exit of the turnpike Friday while shipping in First Prediction for Sunday's
1-mile turf test for older fillies and mares. After a 20-minute wait, the
van was back on the road.
Fortunately, Del Castillo left the driving to Julio Pezua Sunday. This time,
no one ran out of gas.
Pezua, whose victory was his second of the day and increased his record season's
total to 75, got something extra from First Prediction in the stretch to get
by J.R. Harris Jr.'s Thirty Zip. It was First Prediction's third straight
victory, and it came before a Mother's Day crowd of 10,752.
"I had to lay up closer to the pace than usual because the race was only
a flat mile," said Pezua, who stayed fourth behind Tri Argo, favored
Fieldy and Tuscadoon until the stretch. "I saved all the ground I could
and was able to get through inside. My horse made the lead in the stretch,
but then the (Thirty Zip) went by here. When my horse saw that, she dug in
and went ahead to win the race."
Del Castillo said her main worry was that the early fractions of:23 4/5, :41
1/5 and 1:11 1/5 would mean Pezua would have to use his mount earlier than
he would like.
"It was a wild race,"
said Del Castillo, whose charge turned in a winning time of 1:35 1/5 for her
second stakes victory. "But First Prediction's been knocking at the door.
She's a game little thing, and God bless Pezua. He knew enough to keep her
close."
First Prediction, a 5-year old daughter of On To Glory-Around The Bend by
Hagley, returned $7.80, $4.20 and $3.00.
It is also thought that Del Castillo will use part of the winner's purse of
$37,620 to gas all of her vehicles.