Pleasant Acres nails $113 Gulfstream Park double

Gulfstream Park and a slew of sharp handicappers celebrated an all-Pleasant Acres daily double yesterday, when Buc N Beauty won the first race and paid $3.80, followed up by Chiquirin’s $39.80 upset in the second race. The all-Pleasant Acres $2 double checked in at a cool $113.

Race 1: Tyler Gafffalione was aboard Buc N Beauty, a 3-year-old filly owned and bred by Thoroughbred Racing Nation who was making just her second start in $50,000 maiden optional claiming company after registering a third-place finish in her debut. She went to the lead, put up early fractions of :22.80 and :44.72, then held on to score by half a length in 1:06.57 for the 5 1/2 furlongs. Bucchero’s second January winner earned $30,700 and has banked $36,130 in her two starts.

Race 2: Chiquirin, a 4-year-old gelding by Gone Astray bred by SJT Racing Stable, was so far behind heading down the backstretch of the one-mile race that he was out of the TV picture. Ivan Pimentel Jr. switched into overdrive on the turn and the gelding used the rail to gobble up the leaders. He took the lead at the top of the stretch and drew off easily to get his second victory in 11 starts. Track announcer Pete Aiello, usually an excellent judge of a winner’s final margin, missed by a mile in this one with the call “Chiquirin clears off to win by five at the end,” but the camera showed it to be nine lengths and widening. He collected $11,600 for the effort, accomplished in 1:38.75.