American Tattoo has a right to rebound in Hal's Hope Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Among the multitude of stakes offerings on the huge Florida Day Derby program Saturday at Gulfstream Park are a pair of main-track races for older horses. Both the Grade 3, $100,000 Hal’s Hope (race 6) and the $75,000 Sir Shackleton (race 8) will have big fields when they are run just prior to the Rainbow 6 sequence.

Florida Derby: News, contenders, and videos

Hal’s Hope

Todd Pletcher is hoping the last start is a throwout for American Tattoo, one of 11 entered in the 29th running of this 1 1/8-mile race. American Tattoo had been in fine form until he tried turf for the first time in the Jan. 25 McKnight at Gulfstream. He finished last of 11.

“I actually do think the horse handles the turf okay,” said Pletcher, “but we just figured with this opportunity we’d go ahead and get back on the dirt and see if he can regain his best form. He’s proven that he can handle it.”

American Tattoo, a two-back winner of the Allen Jerkens over the Gulfstream dirt, will break from post 6. With his best effort, the 5-year-old Argentine-bred would assume a stalking spot from behind one of the other likely favorites in Bodexpress (post 2, Emisael Jaramillo), who stretches back out to two turns after setting a wicked pace in the Gulfstream Park Mile last month.

Other players in an interesting group include Harvey Wallbanger, a closer whose top two efforts have both been at Gulfstream, and Rare Form, a Dale Romans trainee with dangerous speed.

Harvey Wallbanger won his latest start, an allowance route on the Feb. 29 Fountain of Youth card.

“He needs pace,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “If it unfolds the right way, he’ll run huge again.”

:: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Sir Shackleton

Vekoma will make his eagerly awaited return after last being seen finishing 13th (and placed 12th) in the 2019 Kentucky Derby. This seven-furlong race might be short of his ideal distance but “gets us started on what we hope is a good 4-year-old campaign,” trainer George Weaver said.

“He came out of the Derby with some little aches and pains,” Weaver said. “These days they call it ‘bone bruising,’ I guess. He just needed some time, no surgery or anything. Without any major goal early this year, we wanted to give him all the time he needed.”

Vekoma won the Blue Grass Stakes last April and seems to hold a class edge over his 11 opponents – although the layoff and shorter distance may make him vulnerable to the likes of a seasoned sprinter such as Jackson, a last-out winner of the World of Trouble Sprint; or He Hate Me, a consistent 5-year-old with plenty of experience at this level.

Other possibilities in the Sir Shackleton include the Pletcher-trained Last Judgment and the Ian Wilkes pair of Bourbon Calling and Bourbon Resolution.