Big Drama, Honey Ryder go back to back

A couple of $75,000 stakes races share the spotlight on the 12-race card on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Post time for the first race is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

Leading off the stakes doubleheader in race 10 is the Big Drama for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up. The seven-furlong dash on the main track drew eight horses.

The Honey Ryder for 3-year-old fillies immediately follows the Big Drama. The 1 1/16-mile race on turf drew nine horses.

The Kathleen O’Connell-trained Well Defined has speed, back class, and is a sharp horse now. He is clearly the one to beat in the Big Drama.

The 5-year-old son of With Distinction is a Grade 3 winner with $589,527 in earnings and is coming off a narrow loss going a mile in a $30,000 starter-allowance race on April 3. With Emisael Jaramillo riding, he set an honest pace under pressure, drew clear in the stretch, but was nailed at the wire by Tune In, who came from a stalking position for his third straight victory.

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In his previous outing, Well Defined took them all the way in a $16,000 starter race going seven furlongs on March 12. In his Grade 3 win as a 3-year-old, he used his speed to score a front-running win in the 1 1/16-mile Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs.

He will break from post 5 with Jaramillo in the irons.

Monforte could fire a big shot coming off the bench for trainer Ruben Gracida, who the past two years has a 28 percent strike rate and $2.08 return on investment with horses coming back between 61 and 180 days.

In his last start, the 4-year-old colt by Carpe Diem finished third going 1 1/16 miles to Venezuelan Hug in the $75,000 Sunshine Turf on Jan. 16. Venezuelan Hug won the Grade 3 Canadian Turf in his next start.

Monforte is better on grass, but he does have a win going seven furlongs on dirt in a race that was washed off the turf in the second start of his 3-year-old campaign. He was one of just three horses in the field, though.

Chantal Sutherland rides.

Por Que No, trained by Kent Sweezey, is going for her fifth straight win in the Honey Ryder.

The versatile Kentucky-bred daughter of Wicked Strong took them all the way in two of her wins, including her latest going a mile on turf in a first-level allowance race with a $75,000 claiming option on April 8.

In her previous race going 1 1/16 miles on turf, she came from a stalking position to win a $50,000 starter with a $50,000 claiming option.

Miquel Vasquez retains the mount.