SHAGAF provided just an element to Chad Brown’s Saturday. The trainer provided half the field in the Grade 3 The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Imported from around the world, Olorda, Dacita and Guapaza finished within a length of each other, producing a $28.80 trifecta to anybody who focused on the Brown trio.

Olorda made her first three starts in Germany before venturing to Longhamp to win the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux and finish third in the Group 1 Pou Moi Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary last year.

Purchased by Martin Schwartz, she flopped in three Grade 1 stakes tries here. Freshened for the winter, she returned with a vengeance, handling Chilean imports Dacita and Guapaza.

PLETCHER WINS

Todd Pletcher, the only trainer in America with more firepower than Brown, countered six races later, unleashing four of the seven runners in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap, sweeping the first three spots with Blofeld, Stanford and Anchor Down. The latter was disqualified for bumping – and nearly dropping Valid – in the straight.

Owned by Glencrest Farm and ridden by John Velazquez, Blofeld shimmed through on the rail to nail his stablemate on the wire.

Winner of his first three starts last year, Blofeld lost his next three starts before the Gulfstream Park Handicap. Another limb on the far-reaching breeding tree of the late Edward Evans, Blofeld is by Evans’ stakes winner Quality Road out of his stakes winner Storm Minstrel. She was originally purchased, carrying Blofeld, for $150,000 at Evans’ dispersal at Keeneland November Sale in 2011.

VENEZUELAN TRAINER

Venezuela has provided stellar horsemen to America over the years. Hall of Fame nominee Ramon Dominguez, Eclipse Award-winning jockey Javier Castellano…add trainer Gustavo Delgado.

The trainer of four Triple Crown winners in his native Venezuela, Delgado has gradually become a force since emigrating in 2014.

Delgado captured the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream Park with Grand Tito at Gulfstream Park last Saturday.

As Venezuela falls into further political and economic instability, skilled horsemen have emerged in American racing.

Venezuelan owner El Capi Racing made a splash at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of selected yearlings last summer, going to $2 million to purchase a colt by Tapit that topped the auction and plonking down another $400,000 to buy a Tiznow filly.

Delgado called his home nation situation, “very, very complicated” and “very dangerous.”

Grand Tito is far from complicated.

The six-year-old son of Candy Ride won for the ninth time in his career and third time since Delgado took over his training.

“Grand Tito. That’s a good horse,” Delgado said in Venezuelan simplicity.