Azam finds more suitable company in Gulfstream allowance
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Jose D’Angelo thought highly enough of Azam this spring to try him against some of the top members of his division in the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont. The promising 3-year-old will find himself facing much more suitable opposition Friday at Gulfstream Park going postward the likely favorite against six rivals, including stablemate Prost, in the afternoon’s $54,000 main event to be decided under allowance and optional-claiming conditions at a mile on dirt.
Azam had apparently won his maiden at first asking when launching his career here at 2, crossing the finish line first, only to be disqualified and placed second for drifting in the stretch. He would not run again for 10 months, ultimately winning his second start off the layoff, with a game two-length maiden score stretching to a mile while earning a career-best 74 Beyer Speed Figure.
D’Angelo sent Azam to the Peter Pan off that effort but after showing brief speed, the son of McKinzie faded badly, finishing a distant fifth and last behind the even-money Growth Equity. He has started just once since, on July 26, turning in another very game effort when beaten a neck by Moonstrocity as a 6-5 favorite after contesting all the pace under similar conditions as Friday’s headliner.
“He didn’t have the perfect trip but ran very well last time,” D’Angelo said. “He had to move a little early, and that probably cost him the race. There’s a lot of speed in this race as well, but hopefully we can take him back off the pace this time. I don’t think he needs the lead. He’s training extremely well, and I’m very confident he’s going to run a big race again.”
In fact, D’Angelo feels it will be Prost who could be contesting the early running if he breaks alertly from his inside post. Prost was an impressive nine-length winner of his career debut as a 2-year-old going seven furlongs on dirt. He has not won since, with his four most recent appearances coming over turf or the synthetic Tapeta track.
“I think switching back to the main track is going to help Prost,” D’Angelo advised. “We were looking for two-turn races, which is why we began running him on turf in the first place. We also discovered he doesn’t really like kickback, which is why we’re probably going to try to send him to the lead on Friday.”
Azam will be facing a couple of familiar foes in Move Jesse Move and Arabia Wild. The trio was second, third, and fourth, respectively, behind Moonstrocity when they met during the summer. Arabia Wild flattered the race when he returned to defeat mid-level conditioned claimers by 2 1/4 lengths at one mile nine weeks later. He’ll return on just 12 days’ rest on Friday after having been claimed for $35,000 by his present connections out of the race.
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