French acquisition Kertez is 2-to-1 on the morning line for his American debut Saturday in the $200,000 Pan American Stakes (G3T) going long on the turf at Gulfstream Park.

Joel Rosario has the mount on Kertez, now trained by Christophe Clement. He was Group 2 and Group 3-placed in France last year and won an allowance at Saint-Cloud in his finale there. West Point, Michael Dubb and Morris Bailey acquired him last fall at the Arqana Arc sale.

“He’s a horse for us that fits in that marathon turf distance which we love,” West Point’s executive vice president Tom Bellhouse said. “We’re super excited about this horse. Christophe and Miguel Clement have been very high on him. This is a great spot to make his U.S. debut.”

“This horse came to hand nicely. He’s been training great, so we look forward to getting him going,” Bellhouse said. “We love being in these races. Traditionally, these kind of horses stay sounder. They’re horses that can [have] long careers, so buying a 5 turning 6-year-old isn’t a concern. If he stays healthy, I think we can have a lot of fun over the next couple years with him.”

West Point has a nice history with the Pan American: Twilight Eclipse set a world record for a mile and a half on the turf when he won this race in 2013 in 2:22.63. Twilight Eclipse went on to become a Grade 1 winner, competed in four editions of the Breeders’ Cup Turf and earned $2,103,953. He just turned 15 years old this week, living comfortably in retirement at a farm in Kentucky.

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Daily Racing Form Preview: Kertez, Tawny Port Strong Duo for Clement in Pan American 

Twilight Eclipse Sets a World Record in the 2013 Pan American: