Art G Is Back to return to turf

Art G Is Back continued his ascent on the South Florida racing circuit in the $100,000 Benny the Bull last Saturday at Gulfstream Park, but trainer Ron Spatz is determined to further expand the horizons of the 3-year-old colt.

Art G Is Back, owned by Monarch Stables, earned a career-high 95 Beyer Speed Figure in winning the $100,000 Benny the Bull at seven furlongs on the main track, but Spatz said turf is next for the gray son of Exchange Rate.

Spatz said the $75,000 Bear’s Den, a 7 1/2-furlong grass race restricted to 3-year-olds on Sept. 21, has been a longtime target and that the Benny the Bull was a means “to keep him busy.”

“He’s better on the dirt, but he runs on the turf,” he said.

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Art G Is Back defeated older horses in the Benny the Bull, which was restricted to Florida-breds, and is now 4 for 6 on dirt. Meanwhile, he is winless in five starts on turf, although several of those were close calls. Spatz reasoned a return to dirt is always an option following the Bear’s Den.

“It seems like he gets beat in more photos on the turf, but he does run well over it,” said Spatz.

Favorites set for Saturday

Lenzi’s Lucky Lady and Chance It figure to be stoutly favored when the second legs of the Florida Sire Stakes are run Saturday at Gulfstream. Both were easy winners when the first legs of the annual series for Florida-registered 2-year-olds were held Aug. 3.

Lenzi’s Lucky Lady, unbeaten in three starts, all for Stonehedge LLC and trainer Kathleen O’Connell, breezed a half-mile Sunday in 50.80 seconds in preparation for the filly division, the $200,000 Susan’s Girl.

“Everything was fine,” said O’Connell.

A sizable field is likely for the Susan’s Girl, whereas a shorter lineup is likely for its colt-and-gelding counterpart, the $200,000 Affirmed. Entries for both seven-furlong races are to be drawn Wednesday.

Chance It, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., has won 2 of 3 starts.

Also on tap Saturday are two $100,000 turf races for 2-year-olds, the Proud Man and Sharp Susan.

Rainbow nears a million

The Rainbow 6 jackpot, unswept since July 6, is fast approaching the $1 million mark. The carryover into Thursday stands at $934,782 and will soar into seven figures this week, assuming no solo winner empties the pool. The pool must be paid out on Sept. 29, closing day of the summer meet.

A 10-race Thursday card starting at 1:15 p.m. Eastern kicks off a five-day race week that runs through Monday, Labor Day. One of two co-featured allowances (races 1 and 8) is part of the Rainbow 6 sequence, which spans races 5-10.

Barboza to the fore

A torrid recent streak has vaulted Victor Barboza Jr. to the top of the summer-meet trainer standings. Barboza saddled six winners last week, including three on Saturday and two on Sunday, to forge to an 18-17 lead over Antonio Sano. Joseph is next with 15 wins.

Among jockeys, Edgard Zayas holds a 46-38 lead over Cristian Torres, easily the top local apprentice this summer.