Blofeld looking to rediscover best form
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Blofeld was one of the early stars in a foal crop that included a Triple Crown winner, but the colt has yet to follow up on his precocity that year. Unbeaten in three starts as a 2-year-old in 2014 but winless last year in both of his starts at 3, Blofeld will return to action Wednesday at Gulfstream Park when he makes his 4-year-old debut in the allowance feature.
With John Velazquez to ride, Blofeld will face five others going six furlongs in a $48,000, third-level dash that goes as the fourth of 11 races.
“We had great expectations for him,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains the gray colt for Glencrest Farm and JSM Equine. “Still do.”
Blofeld became a standout in his class when he captured the Grade 2 Futurity at Belmont and the Grade 2 Nashua at Aqueduct. But the colt was disappointing in an abbreviated 2015 campaign, finishing third in the William Walker Stakes and a distant fifth in the Dwyer Stakes before returning to the sidelines.
“We gave him a bit of time off,” said Pletcher. “He kind of tailed off for us. He has come back to train well, although six furlongs might be a tad short for him. We just want to get him going, and hopefully this will be a step toward something bigger down the road.”
Surely the main impediment to a winning return for Blofeld is Trouble Kid, a fellow 4-year-old who came to peak form last fall in winning two stakes before being disqualified from first in another (the De Francis Dash) while compiling superior Beyer Speed Figures. Joshua Navarro has the riding assignment from the rail slot.
First post Wednesday is 12:35 p.m. Eastern, with the early feature set for 2:05. One other allowance – a first-level sprint for fillies and mares – anchors the back end of the card as Race 10.
The jackpot carryover in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (races 6-11) into Wednesday is $174,032.
KEY CONTENDERS
Blofeld, by Quality Road
(Last 3 Beyers: 81-86-93)
◗ Colt was taken out of training in August and given a couple of months off before gearing back up with a series of seven workouts at Palm Beach Downs that started in early December.
◗ From the very start, he has shown a willingness to rate professionally from just off the pace, a style that should serve him well in this spot and going forward.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Blofeld. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 11-3-0-1 with a $1.00 ROI over the past five years going route to sprint on dirt following a layoff of 180 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Trouble Kid, by Harlan’s Holiday
(Last 3 Beyers: 101-99-95)
◗ Under the care of Chloe Bradley while trainer Ramon Preciado serves a suspension for medication violations in Delaware, this onetime lower-level claimer won two stakes at Parx prior to his De Francis takedown.
◗ Was narrowly defeated in a fierce duel with Stallwalkin’ Dude in the Claiming Crown on opening day of the championship meet and has posted four swift workouts in the interim.
Passion for Action, by Speightstown
(Last 3 Beyers: 96-96-81)
◗ Ontario-bred really came to hand when competing over turf and synthetics, and he makes his first try over dirt here following a layoff of nearly 10 weeks.
Anchor Down, by Tapit
(Last 3 Beyers: 83-88-86)
◗ Also trained by Pletcher, he is 2 for 2 at Gulfstream and won’t take as much play as stablemate Blofeld.
◗ He has shown glimpses of brilliance and gets Javier Castellano while well drawn in the outside post as a usable price alternative.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Anchor Down. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 20-4-1-5 with a $0.90 ROI over the past five years on dirt when removing blinkers following a layoff of 45 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Candip. Trainer Michael Tomlinson is 20-7-3-1 with a $4.06 ROI over the past two years in dirt sprints following a layoff of 45 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan