Bikini Beauty gets class relief in 2015 debut
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – After folks get a couple of days off to hit the beach or catch up on errands or whatever they wanted to do following another huge weekend at Gulfstream Park, the action resumes here Wednesday with a 10-race program anchored by a pair of allowance routes for older fillies and mares on turf.
Bikini Beauty, appropriately named for this sun-splashed venue, is among the top contenders in the second of those co-features, a $50,000 second-level allowance that goes as race 9. Like many in the Christophe Clement stable, the 4-year-old filly should appreciate the 1 3/16-mile distance of a race that drew a competitive field of nine.
The earlier allowance (race 7) is a $48,000 first-level race at 1 1/8 miles which drew 10 (including one main-track-only entrant), led by Empress Maker, Divine Luck, Silky, and Tapnfire.
The carryover into the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (races 5-10) is $51,437.
◗ Gulfstream is changing its post times again, effective this week. Weekday cards will start at 1 p.m. Eastern, while 12-race weekend and holiday cards will start at 12:30.
◗ The lone stakes this coming weekend at Gulfstream is the Grade 3, $150,000 Hurricane Bertie for filly-mare sprinters on Saturday. The Feb. 21 card is the next big-event day with seven graded stakes led by the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.
KEY CONTENDERS
Bikini Beauty (Last 3 Beyers: 75-82-80)
◗ This Bernardini filly has had five works at Payson Park after finishing less than six lengths back in the Dec. 20 Tropical Park Oaks won by Sandiva, who wheeled back Saturday to dominate the Grade 3 Suwannee River.
◗ Clement shows above-average numbers in 2014-15 in the categories that apply here, including 31- to 60-day layoffs (20 percent).
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Bikini Beauty and No. 8 Rubindy. Both fillies are by Bernardini, whose progeny are 29 for 425 (7 percent) lifetime in turf routes. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Cloture (Last 3 Beyers: 77-78-75)
◗ This Stuart Janney homebred has developed into a useful and very consistent sort, having won two of her last four attempts while having her races well spaced.
◗ She figures to be in mid-pack before making her bid under John Velazquez.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Cloture. Trainer Shug McGaughey is 24-9-5-4 with a $4.20 ROI over the past two years in turf routes at Gulfstream Park following a layoff of between 61 and 180 days. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Rubindy (Last 3 Beyers: 81-78-77)
◗ She was second for this same condition last out and now stretches out an extra furlong for Chad Brown, who had an outstanding weekend at Gulfstream, sending out three debut winners.
◗ The added distance likely will enhance her natural speed and make her prominent throughout under Joel Rosario.
Magic of Reality (Beyers: 83-81)
◗ This Niarchos homebred exits a Grade 3 race and surely will draw notice given her decent form in England and two solid U.S. efforts, both for Graham Motion, who also shows terrific numbers in the relevant categories.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Engaginglee. Trainer Dale Romans is 18-2-2-2 with a $0.44 ROI over the past five years going dirt to turf with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Tempers Flair. Trainer Dale Romans is 16-4-1-1 with a $5.50 ROI over the past five years going dirt to turf in routes at Gulfstream Park in the second start following a layoff. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan