Amstrong back on Tapeta in Bear's Den Stakes
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Amstrong will be returning to his preferred surface Saturday for the $75,000 Bear’s Den for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park.
He’s back on Tapeta for the Bear’s Den, which will be run over a mile and 70 yards. There are nine horses entered in the feature, and six of them won in their most recent start.
Amstrong is returning to Gulfstream Park after running seventh in the Grade 3 Manila on turf on July 7 at Belmont Park and third in a second-level allowance on dirt Aug. 4 at Laurel.
“The last time he was in Florida he won the stakes for 3-year-olds, the Not Surprising,” trainer Jose D’Angelo said. “It was on the Tapeta, and he’s a horse that loves the Tapeta. We brought him to New York and it was tough, and he did not like the grass over there. We ran him on dirt, and he ran okay.
“We’re moving him back to Florida, and I think he’ll be tough. He’s a different horse on Tapeta. He moves different. The two times he’s run on it, he’s won.”
The Not Surprising was run over 1 1/16 miles on June 10, and Amstrong stalked the pace and went on to a 3 3/4-length win. For the effort, he earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 85. The start came following a maiden special weight victory at the same distance in his Tapeta debut April 15.
Miguel Vasquez, who was aboard for both wins, will be reunited with Amstrong when the pair starts from post 8. Amstrong, a son of Tapwrit, races for Soldi Stable and Ohana Racing Stable.
Smart Striker enters off a win in a first-level allowance over 1 1/16 miles on turf at Colonial Downs. He’s returning to a Tapeta surface over which he won his maiden and ran second in the Not Surprising.
Leonel Reyes has the mount from the rail for My Purple Haze Stable and trainer Terri Pompay.
Others in the field coming off wins are Unified Weekend, Rockin Roller, McMoney, Love Me Not, and Free Smoke.
Lightning Tones and Loco Abarrio are both stretching out around two turns after finishing a respective second and third in a first-level allowance sprint Aug. 18 at Gulfstream. Lightning Tones won the $100,000 Carry Back in June at Gulfstream.
Battle Cry on undercard
Battle Cry, who was flattered by Poiema’s win last Sunday in the $60,000 Stormy Embrace at Gulfstream, goes in the sixth race. It’s a $12,500 starter allowance for fillies and mares at a mile and 70 yards on Tapeta.
Battle Cry enters the race off a two-other-than allowance start Aug. 18 at Gulfstream. She closed from last to win the one-turn mile by 1 1/4 lengths over Poiema, who came back in her next start to dominate the Stormy Embrace by 5 1/4 lengths.
Battle Cry is back on Tapeta, where she is 2 for 3.
“She tries every time,” trainer Victor Barboza Jr. said. “She’s very consistent.”
Barboza also starts Lady Jae, who has been racing in Southern California.
“I claimed her one year ago in Gulfstream,” Barboza said. “She won two races for me, and the owner moved the filly to run at Del Mar. He now moved her back to my barn. She’s a Florida-bred.”
Reyes has the mount for Melvin Simonovich.
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