Atreides will be odds-on in Aventura Handicap

Racing fans who have been hoping to see Atreides against Grade 1 competition will continue to have to wait. Yes, he is making a long-awaited return to action, but in a race where he figures about 2-5.

Atreides will face eight other 3-year-olds Sunday in the $50,000 Aventura Handicap while staying h ome at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. Trainer Marty Wolfson had seriously considered the Grade 1 Cigar Mile last weekend at Aqueduct before taking a pass, saying he was unable to line up a top jockey and that he was not comfortable with sending Atreides into such cold weather.

Instead, Atreides will be prepping for the Ja n. 10 Hal’s Hope when breaking from post 5 as the co-highweight Sunday in the Aventura. Edgard Zayas has the mount.

Atreides has been an enigmatic wunderkind since his career debut in July. He reeled off three straight triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures before suffering his first defeat when venturing outside his comfort zone in October, when he had a brutal trip while finishing second-to-last in the Indiana Derby.

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“Put a line through his last race,” said Wolfson, who also has another Aventura starter in the speedy Montana Cowboy (post 8, J.J. Gonzalez). “He won’t be so far back this time, although I don’t think he’ll be in front of Montana Cowboy. A mile looks like a perfect distance for him.”

Weight assignments range from 121 pounds for Atreides and Best Plan Yet to 114 for the uncoupled Nick Zito pair of Quiet Ruler and Tony B.

Aventura Handicap, race 9

KEY CONTENDERS

Atreides (Last 3 Beyers: 78-105-102)

◗ There’s little doubt he should win this race with a typical effort, having compiled those huge Beyers before the Indiana debacle. Evidently Wolfson has used Zayas enough (41 times in 2013-14) to be comfortable with him, at least in a race of this caliber.

Best Plan Yet (Last 3 Beyers: 72-76-56)

◗ Beyers strongly suggest he might not only might struggle with Atreides, but also with some of these others; still, he has competed in nothing but stakes since a maiden win, and his bankroll of $386,715 is by far the highest in the field.

Quiet Ruler (Last 3 Beyers: 83-80-87)

◗ Last-out runner-up finish as a Keeneland favorite came to a promising right-back winner, Rocket Time, and his running style suggest he wants more ground; coming along nicely for Zito, who also has another useful-looking type in here in Tony B.

Dudeman (Last 3 Beyers: 88-86-79)

◗ Gets top jockey Jose Lezcano after knocking out his first allowance condition with that career-high Beyer seven weeks ago at Gulf West; has the kind of tactical speed that should keep him in the thick of this a long way.