Benny the Bull featured in Rainbow 6 mandatory payout

A couple of talented 3-year-olds trying their more experienced elders is a prime storyline Saturday in an interesting renewal of the Benny the Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park in South Florida.

Dean Delivers and King Cab, both with Beyer Speed Figures approaching 100, are among a field of eight Florida-breds in the Benny the Bull, a seven-furlong fixture that anchors an 11-race card featuring a Rainbow 6 forceout.

Dean Delivers will be ridden by Miguel Vasquez, the leading jockey at the current spring-summer meet, breaking from post 6. The Stonehedge homebred returned from a 3 1/2-month layoff with a resounding victory in a July 15 allowance at Gulfstream that graded out to a 98 Beyer.

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“You don’t really like going against these good older horses, even though you eventually have to,” said his trainer, Michael Yates. “But if he runs back to his layoff race, I think he’ll be very competitive.”

His fellow 3-year-old King Cab (post 8, Kevin Krigger) figures as a major pace factor after earning 94 and 92 Beyers in a couple of eye-catching scores earlier this year.

Pudding (post 4, Leonel Reyes) and Absolute Grit (post 5, Edgar Perez) are the older rivals presenting the most serious roadblocks to the winner’s circle. Pudding, 7, earned 97 and 96 Beyers from two of his last three starts for Elizabeth Dobles, while Absolute Grit, 5, got a 95 Beyer in a two-back romp in a $60,000 handicap sprint.

The Benny the Bull is named for the Florida-bred who earned more than $2.35 million in a racing career spanning 2006-09. Its purse structure is $65,000-guaranteed, with another $25,000 being paid in bonuses to eligible Florida-bred or -sired runners.

The Benny the Bull is the 10th race on a program that starts at 12:25 p.m. Eastern and is therefore a key link in the 20-cent Rainbow 6, which spans races 6-11 and figures to draw several million dollars in new handle.

Gulfstream had planned a forceout of the Rainbow 6 last Sunday but had to scrap it because of an unforeseen procedural issue involving a new government agency. The actual Rainbow 6 carryover starting this week stood at $294,283. The pool has not been emptied since July 8.

The Rainbow 6 starts at 3:07, with the Benny the Bull going at 5:21.

In the surrounding Rainbow 6 races:

Race 6

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Oriental Park is a potential single on some tickets after coming to peak form while competing for this same “never-won-two” condition in his last two starts. Geoscience, Negligence, and Dirt Road Dollars also have some merit.

Race 7

A plethora of unknown quantities, including a handful of first-time starters from top barns, are among 10 2-year-olds in this maiden-special route over Tapeta. Coalminer’s Kitten, from the leading barn of Saffie Joseph Jr., is among the top considerations.

Race 8

Silent Chaos takes a notable drop in class for Mark Casse looking to recapture the form that took him to back-to-back synthetic wins earlier in the meet. My Man Flint and Hrothgar also will take their share of action.

Race 9

The uncoupled Imaginary Stables duo of Poseidon’s Son and Full Disclosure face off against several contenders exiting a common July 17 race in what many serious Rainbow 6 players will interpret as a “must-spread” leg.

Race 11

Quite a few of these older Tapeta sprinters competing under $10,000 claiming tags would stand as logical winners of a deep finale, with Frenchmen Street, Zamfir, Earth, and Sassy But Smart among a core of lukewarm favorites.