All eyes on 3-year-olds in Sunday allowance
Back-to-back turf sprints anchor the latter portion of an 11-race card, but it’s an earlier allowance that might be most noteworthy Sunday at Gulfstream Park – if for no other reason than it’s for 3-year-olds who might ultimately take part in the Kentucky Derby chase.
Eight 3-year-olds, including a pair from the Todd Pletcher stable, will race a flat mile in the fourth race, a $48,000, first-level allowance with a $75,000 claiming option. That uncoupled Pletcher duo is Itsaknockout, breaking from post 4 with Luis Saez to ride, and G Five (post 8, John Velazquez), the only horse in the race entered for the claiming option.
Other entries include Global Positioning, exiting a sharp maiden victory, and Jack Tripp, who was soundly defeated in his latest by Dortmund, one of the current Derby favorites.
In the later co-features, older horses will vie for a $50,000 purse in race 9, a second-level optional claimer, while an oversubscribed field of older fillies and mares is entered for a $48,000 purse and a first-level condition in race 10. Both are scheduled for five furlongs on turf.
After Sunday, Gulfstream goes dark for two days before live racing resumes Wednesday. First post daily is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.
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KEY CONTENDERS
Global Positioning (Beyers: 77-64)
◗ From the same New York-based team that brought you the terrific Artemis Agrotera last year (owners Chester and Mary Broman and trainer Mike Hushion), this Malibu Moon colt was a six-length winner last out over the inner track at Aqueduct and should get quite a test here when stretching out and breaking from the No. 1 hole against considerably tougher company.
Jack Tripp (Last 3 Beyers: 63-76-78)
◗ This route-tested gelding won a Keeneland maiden race before finishing a decent third in a key Churchill Downs optional claimer, but then came an 18-length drubbing behind Dortmund on closing weekend at Churchill. He may have been too keen in that last one, so some calculated rating from Corey Lanerie likely would help here.
Itsaknockout (Beyer: 74)
◗ Starlight Racing spent $350,000 to get him last summer at Saratoga, and so far, so good. He was a narrow winner at first asking on opening weekend of the championship meet and stands to benefit from that education and two interim workouts at Pletcher’s Palm Beach Downs headquarters.
G Five (Last 3 Beyers: 59-71-65)
◗ That he’s in for a tag is probably a negative clue, but he does come well drawn in the outside hole and already is a two-time winner. In addition, there’s the always-dangerous Velazquez-Pletcher factor in his favor.