Anniversary day for Harvey Wallbanger

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Make a wrong turn Sunday in this area of South Florida, and you might wind up at Gulfstream Park and not Hard Rock Stadium.

After all, the sporting venues are located a mere seven miles apart – and besides, an intrepid attendee of Super Bowl LIV could commit a more egregious turnover than swinging by the racetrack prior to being in his or her Hard Rock seat for the evening kickoff.

What they’d see is a solid 11-race card that’s anchored not only by an interesting allowance feature, but one that also will spotlight the kind of impeccably bred maidens that Chiefs fans rarely saw in action at the Woodlands nor 49ers fans at Bay Meadows. The third and fifth races, both at a mile on turf, are absolutely stacked with 3-year-olds of royal pedigree from high-powered stables, and it would be no surprise if those races become key.

For its part, the featured 10th is a $52,000 second-level allowance at 1 1/8 miles on the main track. The field includes the 29-1 winner of the 2019 Holy Bull Harvey Wallbanger, who is seeking his first victory since that stunning upset on what just so happens to be the one-year anniversary.

“We tried him on the Kentucky Derby trail and it didn’t work out,” trainer Kenny McPeek said of Harvey Wallbanger, a late-running Congrats colt who will have Jose Ortiz aboard when he faces six other 4-year-olds and up. “But his final race last year was solid, and it’s given us something to work off of. Hopefully, he’ll run like he’s been training the last few weeks” at the Summerfield training center in Ocala, Fla.

Harvey Wallbanger figures among the middling wagering choices in a lineup that should have Weather Wiz, Ekhtibaar, and Scars Are Cool vying for favoritism. There’s ample speed in opposition to set things up for one of those logical choices, considering the presence of McErin and Trophy Chaser, both stretching out from six-furlong races.

McErin is one of two in the Sunday feature trained by Todd Pletcher. The other, Outshine, was second to Tacitus in the Tampa Bay Derby last March but has been soundly defeated in his three subsequent starts, including at Gulfstream in his Dec. 27 return from a lengthy layoff.

First post Super Bowl Sunday is 12:35 p.m. Eastern, with the last race scheduled for 5:34. Kickoff for the big game across town is 6:30. Sunny skies and a high of 69 are in the forecast, with temperatures cooling into the low 50s after nightfall.

After Sunday, Gulfstream goes dark for the usual two-day period before another five-day race week gets started Wednesday.