The Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday presents a meaningful early-season test for a group of promising three-year-olds, and few bring a résumé as intriguing as If Green With MV Stable’s Diciassette. Trained by Patrick Biancone, the son of Mitole enters the six-furlong sprint having already faced some of the strongest company of his generation, making him a horse to watch closely on the 12-race program at Gulfstream Park.
Diciassette began his career in encouraging fashion over the same track last summer. He opened with a confident victory in a five-furlong maiden race restricted to Florida-breds in July before quickly confirming that promise with another success in the six-furlong Proud Man Stakes just weeks later. Those early performances suggested a colt with natural speed and competitive instincts.
His first defeat came when connections tested him over a longer distance in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. Stepping up to 1 1/16 miles proved a demanding task for the young sprinter, who nonetheless finished a creditable fourth after encountering trouble in running.
Biancone believes the outing confirmed what his stable had begun to suspect.
“The race at Keeneland was simply too long for him,” Biancone explained. “He’s naturally a sprinter. Even so, he ran very well that day.”
After a break of nearly four months, Diciassette returned to action in late January in the Swale Stakes, again at Gulfstream Park. Racing enthusiastically early and covering extra ground during the contest, he finished fourth in a performance his trainer felt offered plenty of encouragement.
“He was a little fresh and perhaps too eager early on,” Biancone said. “He travelled wide but still ran a very good race for his comeback.”
Since that outing, Diciassette has impressed in morning preparation at Palm Meadows Training Center, Gulfstream’s satellite facility, where he has produced a pair of notably sharp workouts. Those preparations have strengthened confidence that the colt is ready to show his best form.
Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park: A Competitive Line-Up
The Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park has drawn several other developing runners hoping to establish themselves among the early-season sprint division.
Resolution Road Stables’ Arbiter, trained by Wesley Ward, had been considered a potential contender after winning both of his first two career starts. The colt initially scored on turf at Churchill Downs before following up with another victory over six furlongs on a synthetic surface at Turfway Park.
However, Ward indicated that Arbiter may instead wait for another opportunity later in the meeting, meaning the colt could bypass Saturday’s race in favour of a turf sprint scheduled for the following week.
Among those set to line up is Sweeping Shadow, who represents trainer Lisa Lewis. The son of Girvin arrives after an emphatic victory at Gulfstream Park in early January, where he surged clear to score by a wide margin over six furlongs. That display suggested a colt beginning to find his stride.
Starry Night Racing’s Fulmine also enters the Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park with valuable experience. Trained by Kent Sweezey, the son of Spun to Run has raced seven times and recently returned to winning form with a determined allowance victory at Tampa Bay Downs.
Another intriguing runner is Wootun, trained by Heather Smullen. The colt showed marked improvement when fitted with blinkers last time, leading throughout to claim a Florida-bred allowance over a sprint distance at Gulfstream Park. That performance hinted that he could again be prominent if reproducing the same front-running style.
Completing the field are I’m Sam from the stable of trainer Daniel Huttak and Freaky Neeks, owned by Rags Racing LLC and Nicholas Regalbuto.
For Biancone, Saturday’s race represents an important moment in Diciassette’s developing career. The colt has already shown flashes of ability, but the Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park offers the chance to confirm that promise against a competitive group of peers.
“We know he has talent,” the trainer said. “Now it’s about seeing him put it all together on race day.”
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to Racebuzz.