Flat Out returns in Donn Handicap

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Hallandale Beach, FL (Sports Network) - Veteran runner Flat Out leads a solid field of 10 older thoroughbreds for Saturday's 57th edition of the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park. The $500,000 stakes at 1 1/8-miles has a post- time of 5:32 p.m. (ET).

Trained by Bill Mott, Flat Out will again be ridden by Joel Rosario with the 3-1 morning line favorite leaving from the two hole. The Donn will be the 7- year-old's first start since rallying for third in last November's Breeders' Cup Classic.

"We obviously hope he's ready to run a big race off the layoff. We don't have any specific plans for him after the Donn, except to keep him and Ron the Greek apart if we can," Mott said.

Owned by Preston Stable, Flat Out has won the last two editions of the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. The 7-year-old was the 7-2 favorite in the 2011 Classic when he finished fifth behind longshot Drosselmeyer.

The Gold Cup was his only win of 2012 to go along with a second in the Monmouth Cup and a third in the Whitney Invitational. Flat Out has banked more than $2.5 million with six wins in 20 career starts.

The 4-1 second pick in the Donn is 4-year-old colt Csaba. Trained by Phil Gleaves, Csaba will be ridden by Luis Saez from post 7.

"It's a big test for us and most of the horses in the race," said Gleaves. "It's a quality Donn field. The good thing about Csaba is that he's proven to be so tractable. We don't have to rely on anybody else in the race to show speed or not. He makes his own race."

Csaba is already a veteran of 17 career starts and is coming off a victory last month at Gulfstream in the Hal's Hope Stakes as the 9-5 favorite. Based at Calder Race Course, the colt is working on a four race win streak that includes the Tropical Park Derby, a dead-heat win with Ducduc in the Fred Hooper Handicap and Harlan's Holiday Stakes.

Owned by Bruce Hollander and Cary Shapoff, Csaba has won eight of his 17 starts for $372,525.

Here is the field for the Donn in post position order: Bourbon Courage, Javier Castellano, 8-1; Flat Out, Joel Rosario, 3-1; Fast Falcon, Jose Lezcano, 15-1: Graydar, Edgar Prado, 5-1: Ultimate Eagle, Martin Pedroza, 6-1; Ducduc, Jose Alvarez, 20-1; Csaba, Luis Saez, 4-1; Take Charge Indy, John Velazquez, 6-1; Pool Play, Miguel Mena, 10-1 and Citrus Kid, Joe Rocco Jr., 15-1.