Benny the Bull Stakes a big test for Ice Tea

The 5-year-old gelding Ice Tea is 3 for 3 this year, with Beyer Speed Figures ranging from 92 to 95 during that streak. And yet trainer Mary Eppler’s phone has remained silent.

“Nobody has called,” she said.

Perhaps the bloodstock agents are waiting to see how Ice Tea fares in tougher company. After blitzing through three allowances, Ice Tea will make his stakes debut Saturday at Gulfstream Park as the likely favorite in the $100,000 Benny the Bull, a seven-furlong race restricted to Florida-breds.

“He’s doing well and training well, so we expect him to run well again Saturday,” said Eppler, the longtime Maryland trainer who also is maintaining a small year-round string at Palm Meadows.

Ice Tea, by Adios Charlie, bounced around a handful of different barns while competing for mid-range claiming tags in 2016-17 prior to Eppler claiming him on behalf of Flying Pheasant Farm for $16,000 in December 2017 at Laurel Park. After one poor effort for his new connections, Ice Tea was away for more than 15 months before returning a brand-new horse. He won his May comeback at Laurel, then reeled off two more wins at Gulfstream, earning those big Beyers.

“He was just real ouchy when we decided to give him all that time off,” Eppler said.

Ice Tea, with Emisael Jaramillo back to ride, is expected among a field of about nine when entries for the Benny the Bull are released Wednesday afternoon.

“It looks like it’ll be a tough race,” Eppler said. “You don’t know how they’ll do in stakes company until you try them, but our horse sure has done everything right so far this year.”

Among the notables bypassing the race is Stormy Embrace, the standout mare who won the Grade 2 Princess Rooney in her most recent start.

Eppler said the $150,000 Wildcat Heir is a logical next target for Ice Tea, assuming a good effort Saturday. The one-mile Wildcat Heir will be part of a Sept. 28 card highlighted by the final legs in the Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds, the $400,000 In Reality and $400,000 My Dear Girl.

The middle legs of the Florida Sire Series, the $200,000 Affirmed and $200,000 Susan’s Girl, are set for next Saturday, Aug. 31.

◗ A $37,000 starter-optional claimer (race 4) serves as the nominal feature on a 10-race Friday card with a first post of 2 p.m. Eastern. It’s just outside of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (races 5-10), which had a jackpot carryover of $763,478 when the four-day race week began Thursday.

A chance of thundershowers and a high of 86 are in the local forecast for Friday, when half of the card is slated for grass.