Trainer Fernando Abreu is currently in New York, with plans to run several horses at Aqueduct and Monmouth Park over the weekend. But first, the primarily South Florida-based trainer will be the center of attention back at his home base of Gulfstream Park, where he’ll send out two of the leading contenders, Belleshazza and Palace Flirt, in Friday’s $48,000 allowance/optional-claiming feature carded for Florida-bred fillies and mares at a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta track. Both Belleshazza and Palace Flirt come into the race having been idle since February. Belleshazza will be making her first start since winning a nonwinners-of-two conditioned claiming event under a $16,000 tag by 2 1/2 lengths on Feb. 16. Palace Flirt has been away since finishing a tiring fifth under conditions similar to Friday’s headliner. Abreu said he gave Belleshazza time off to cool out a splint she suffered in her last start with the plan of bringing her back against nonwinners-of-three claiming opposition. But when the race failed to fill, he opted instead to place her with statebreds for the first time on Friday. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. “She’s doing well and these races don’t go that often either, so I decided to put her in here rather than wait,” Abreu said. “She went 36 and change in her last work and when she breezes like that, it’s usually an indication she’s going to run well too. I just hope she fires fresh.” Palace Flirt was transferred to Abreu’s barn shortly after her last outing. She has worked forwardly for her return, and perhaps even more significantly, will race on Lasix for the first time. “I knew the owner [Martine Britell] from back when I worked for The Chief [Allen Jerkens], and she sent me this horse because she’s a Florida-bred and her previous trainer [Keri Brion] wasn’t staying down here for the summer,” Abreu said. “She worked very well last week over the main track for a turf horse and I heard she bled a little in her last start, so I think getting her on Lasix for the first time should be to her advantage.” The Abreu duo will take on six rivals, including Southern Palace who won her debut going one mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta surface by a neck when debuting for leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. just three weeks ago. “She was kind of off the bridle and running a bit greenly in her first start but then picked it up late and was able to win,” said Joseph. “Logically, I’d expect her to move forward off the race, my main concern being she’s coming back a little bit quicker than I’d really like.” The switch from turf back to Tapeta should be a plus for the improving Sprezzatura, a 3 1/2-length winner in her first try at this course and distance against statebred maiden special weight company here on April 18 for trainer Dale Romans. Nina’s Last Gift also made her Tapeta debut a winning one, with an impressive 7 3/4-length victory when dropping down under a $25,000 tag for the first time on June 7. The 71 Beyer Speed Figure she earned was by far the best in four lifetime starts. Ritabook, who figures to cut out the pace while making her first start both at the distance and over a synthetic surface, Neom City, and Lets Go Koko complete the lineup. ◗ Joseph will hold the upper hand in Saturday’s $100,000 Musical Romance Handicap, with four of the nine fillies and mares entered in the 6 1/2-furlong fixture. He said he plans to scratch one member of that quartet, Batucada, who was an eye-catching 6 1/4-length winner of the Powder Break Stakes over the Tapeta course just last weekend. That will leave Joseph with the trio of likely favorite Bluefield, the stakes-placed Imonra, and 3-year-old Mojave Desert. They will take on a group that includes Olga, Cousin Kristi, Athena’s Wisdom, and the Jose D’Angelo-trained pair of Anatomy and Hihellohowareyou. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.