Mitts becomes Gretzky the Great's first winner after Gulfstream inquiry
Mitts survived a messy Gulfstream finish, a lane drift by Watson and a stewards' inquiry to give Gretzky the Great his first winner in a 2-year-old maiden special weight.
Mitts gave Gretzky the Great the kind of first winner that matters most to a young stallion: one that had to be earned. In Gulfstream Park’s Race 2 on June 13, the bay gelding was first placed after a stewards’ inquiry in a $70,000 maiden special weight, turning a troubled stretch run into a breakthrough for the first crop of the Ocala Stud sire.
The 2-year-old had to work through a sharp early pace and a messy finish before the photo could even be sorted out. Watson, who set fractions of :22.72 and :46.68, drifted out in the lane and interfered with Mitts and jockey Diego Herrera. A claim of foul was lodged, the stewards reviewed the race, and Mitts was elevated to the win. The final time for the 5 furlongs over fast dirt was :59.58, with a run-up of 30 feet and a time from the gate of 1:01.61.
For Gretzky the Great, the significance goes beyond the official result. A routine maiden score can tell breeders almost nothing. A horse that wins while showing grit, handling contact and still finishing the job gives a clearer early read on what a sire may pass along. Mitts was only making his second career start, but he left Gulfstream with a record of one start and one win and earnings of $7,700, according to the official result page.
The pedigree adds another layer. Mitts was foaled Feb. 15, 2024, in Florida and is out of Unanimity, a Union Rags mare who has already produced three winners from three starters. That includes Nooni, who was bought for $1.8 million and won the 2024 Sorrento Stakes. The female family runs deeper still, with Pretty Discreet, winner of the 1995 Alabama Stakes, in the line and a granddam who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winners Discreet Cat and Discreetly Mine.
Gretzky the Great, an 8-year-old son of Nyquist who won Woodbine’s 2020 Summer Stakes, entered stud in 2023 and stands for $3,000 at Ocala Stud in Ocala, Florida. His first foals are 2-year-olds of 2026, and Mitts is the first of them to get to the wire first. For a stallion trying to build trust with breeders, a win earned through adversity is a stronger calling card than a clean maiden on paper.
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