Admiral Hopper has versatility in search of third straight win

Admiral Hopper is one of three runners chasing after a third consecutive win Thursday in the seventh race at Gulfstream Park and her versatile running style might give her the edge over Flirtini and Fortuna Belle.

The horses meet in a $25,000 starter allowance that carries an optional-claiming price of $35,000. The five-furlong race drew eight fillies and mares and will be run on Tapeta.

Admiral Hopper has natural speed and she’s used it to wire her rivals in the past, but also has been effective from off the pace and might need to call on those tactics. Flirtini and Fortuna Belle have each won their last two races on the lead, while there also is other speed signed on Thursday.

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Admiral Hopper has paired up wins in her last two starts using varied running styles. She took a $25,000 claiming race wire to wire Jan. 13, then accounted for a $25,000 starter allowance from off the pace March 21. The starts have come over the Tapeta at Gulfstream, where her record on the local synthetic track stands at 4 for 5.

Admiral Hopper has delivered as the odds-on favorite in each of her last two races, and figures to go favored again Thursday for her sharp record and the fact that she owns the field’s best recent Beyer Speed Figures.

Admiral Hopper is a daughter of Field Commission who races for her breeders, Krista and Edward Seltzer.

An obstacle Admiral Hopper faces Thursday is the rail post, as jockey Edgard Zayas has the task of working out the right kind of trip for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Flirtini will start to Admiral Hopper’s immediate outside, and figures to again show speed under regular rider Emisael Jaramillo.

Fortuna Belle will break from the opposite end of the starting gate, as she drew post 8. She’s established herself as a good gate horse, and with another fast start figures to quickly be up on the front end under regular rider Edwin Gonzalez.

Fortuna Belle began her streak Feb. 10 in a $25,000 claiming race at Tapeta. She then accounted for a first-level allowance against Florida-breds on the same surface March 24. Fortuna Belle has compiled a 4-for-8 record on the local Tapeta.

Rohan Crichton trains Fortuna Belle for breeder, Graham Brown, and Michael Chai Chong.

Flirtini also has built her streak on Tapeta. She won a $25,000 claiming race April 12, then came back and accounted for a $25,000 starter allowance May 3. Flirtini overall has a 3-for-7 record on the synthetic track at Gulfstream.

Flirtini, who is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Hibiscus Punch, is trained by Fernando Abreu. She races for Imaginary Stables.

Others making up the field include Anatomy, who is launching her 4-year-old season in what will be her first out since November. She was a sharp maiden special weight winner last July at Gulfstream, then came back to take a first-level allowance one start later, in August.

Anatomy is making the move back to Tapeta and in two previous starts on the surface was second and third at Gulfstream. Miguel Vasquez has the mount from post 5 for trainer Jose D’Angelo.

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