Gulfstream: Heavy Breathing may try Spiral at Turfway

Heavy Breathing, who remained perfect in two starts after winning a 1 1/16-mile allowance race here last weekend, will be pointed for one of the upcoming graded stakes for 3-year-olds later this spring, according to trainer Todd Pletcher. Heavy Breathing is owned by Jack Wolf’s Starlight Partners.

“I’ve sat down and talked to Jack and we’re knocking around a lot of options, including the Spiral at Turfway Park,” said Pletcher. “The synthetic surface makes a lot of sense for him since he’s by Giant’s Causeway and has worked well on the turf.”

Heavy Breathing won his debut on Feb. 8 by better than seven lengths in a race switched from the turf to the main track.

Jersey Town prepping for comeback

Jersey Town sizzled over the main track here on Wednesday morning, working four furlongs in 46.20 seconds in only his third recorded trial since finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Jersey Town registered his most important victory in the fall of 2010 when he upset the Grade 1 Cigar Mile.

“He went a little faster than I wanted, for sure, but he’s a fast horse,” said trainer Barclay Tagg, who trains Jersey Town for owner Charles Fipke. “He’s had a litany of problems over the years but he’s an iron-willed horse and I’ve seen lots of horses retired with a lot less problems than he’s had. I was hoping to get him to the Met Mile with a prep down here first but unfortunately he won’t be ready to run in time before this meet ends. So I don’t know exactly what path we’ll take yet.”

Jersey Town was the second Cigar Mile winner Tagg trained for Fipke. He also sent out Tale of Ekati to win the race in 2008 following the disqualification of Harlem Rocker.

“It’s just a day-to-day thing with this horse,” said Tagg. “He’s a heavy horse, built like a bull and with his problems it’s not an easy process.”