Back-to-back sprint co-features; Diamond Wow class of race 9

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Back-to-back allowance sprints with claiming options anchor a 10-race Sunday card that ends another week of racing at Gulfstream Park, with race 8 going at five furlongs on the turf and race 9 at six furlongs on the main track.

Race 8 is an $86,000, first-level allowance that drew nine older horses. No Angel, jamming right back in for an optional $25,000 tag after being claimed for a slightly higher price by Caro Caramori here in early December, clearly owns the best recent Beyer Speed Figures for the distance and surface, including a 90 in winning an October allowance at Laurel Park for the recently retired Dale Capuano.

Angel Morales, riding with a seven-pound apprentice allowance, has the call on No Angel.

Among the chief threats are Meetmeinkingston (post 1, Irad Ortiz Jr.), second at 10-1 at this same level last month for Todd Pletcher; Sosua Summer (post 4, Joel Rosario), whose New York races for Bill Mott include a turf-sprint maiden win at Saratoga last summer; and Adios Asher (post 5, Jose Ortiz), a two-back winner of a Horseshoe Indianapolis allowance for Larry Rivelli.

Diamond Wow gets blinkers

Race 9 is an $87,000, second-level allowance that drew seven fillies and mares. Diamond Wow (post 1, Rosario), whose form consists mostly of stakes races, will be equipped with blinkers for the first time by trainer Patrick Biancone when making her first-ever start in the allowance ranks. The 4-year-old Lookin At Lucky filly will be looking to leverage an apparent class edge while turning back in distance and moving to the main track after most recently finishing seventh in the Grade 3 Suwannee River over turf.

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More Than Vows (post 7, Irad Ortiz Jr.) is probably Diamond Wow’s most dangerous rival. Trained by Brian Lynch, the 4-year-old daughter of More Than Ready will be returning from a 10-week layoff after having won two of her last three starts on the Kentucky circuit.

Listed purses for both co-features include $14,000 in available bonuses for Florida-breds, although only Strategic Bird and Bluefield (both in Race 9) qualify. Bluefield is the only starter in race 9 in for the optional $62,500 tag.

Both allowances are part of the 20-cent Rainbow 6, which spans races 5-10. Gulfstream officials are considering whether to offer a forceout of the Rainbow 6 next weekend, either one to coincide with the big Pegasus card or for the following day. The jackpot stood at $339,959 into Friday action.

First post Sunday is 12:10 p.m. Eastern. Mostly sunny skies and a high of 83 are in the local forecast, meaning fast and firm conditions are expected.

After Sunday, Gulfstream goes dark for two days before a five-day week, highlighted by Pegasus World Cup Day on Saturday, gets started Wednesday.

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