After winning his first two Gulfstream races, Sisterson shoots for a stakes

When in Florida, trainer Jack Sisterson does not necessarily specialize in winning the last race of a weekend card. It only appears that way.

Sisterson, campaigning regularly at Gulfstream Park for the first time in his solo career, won the Saturday finale with Kentucky Pharoah ($12.60) and the Sunday finale with Mr. Tip ($5.40) for his first-ever Gulf triumphs.

“I understand the Pegasus is going to be the last race of the day, too,” Sisterson said with a laugh, referring to True Timber being a prime candidate for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 23.

Sisterson, 36, now has his sights set on his first Gulf stakes victory. He’ll send out the Irish-bred Windracer in the Tropical Park Oaks on Saturday following a useful prep earlier this month at Tampa Bay Downs, where on Dec. 4 the 3-year-old filly was a bang-up third when facing seasoned older males in her first start in nine weeks.

“We scouted condition books all over the country, trying to make sure we got a prep in her before the Tropical Oaks,” said Sisterson, who has 20 horses stabled at the Palm Meadows training center in Boynton Beach, Fla., while also maintaining a sizable string at Keeneland, his year-round base.

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“The Tampa race was the only spot we could find. It was a bit unfair to her, honestly, but hopefully the race served its purpose. She’s a way better filly than it looks on paper, and it’d be great if she could put her best foot forward Saturday.”

Windracer, with Robby Albarado to ride, is part of an oversubscribed lineup of 3-year-old fillies in the $75,000 Tropical Oaks (race 10), which will share the spotlight on an 11-race Saturday card with its open counterpart, the $75,000 Tropical Park Derby (race 8). Both races go at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. The $75,000 Allen Jerkens (race 6) for 3-year-olds and upward at the infrequently run distance of two miles also will be run here Saturday.

Windracer is owned by Stonestreet Stables of Barbara Banke. Sisterson, a British native and former longtime Doug O’Neill assistant who worked closely with Kentucky Derby winners I’ll Have Another (2012) and Nyquist (2016) prior to going out on his own in July 2018, trains primarily for the Calumet Farm of Brad Kelley while also taking on outside clients. He’s made terrific progress in 2020, having won Grade 1 events with True Timber and Vexatious, while also maintaining his sense of self-deprecation.

“That’s how crazy 2020 has been, that I won a couple of Grade 1’s,” he laughed.

Sisterson began this week with 45 career wins from 349 starters. True Timber, winner of the Grade 1 Cigar Mile on Dec. 5 for Calumet, had his first work toward the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus when going a very easy half-mile in 53.40 seconds Friday at Palm Meadows.

Christmas Eve racing

Although Gulfstream will be dark Friday for Christmas, racing is being held Thursday, Christmas Eve, with a special first post of 11:30 a.m. Eastern. Racing resumes Saturday with the three-stakes card.

A $48,000 first-level allowance that drew six fillies and mares serves as the nominal feature of a 10-race Thursday program. As race 4, it’s carded outside the popular Rainbow 6, which spans races 5-10. The Rainbow 6 had its jackpot emptied Saturday by the first mandatory forceout of the championship meet, with winning 20-cent tickets returning $7,363.