Bones has the look of a good one

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Ralph Nicks thinks his lightly raced 3-year-old filly Bones has a bright future. But first things first, which means getting her through her entry-level allowance condition going six furlongs in Thursday’s $43,000 main event at Gulfstream Park.

Bones, a homebred owned by Rustlewood Farm, validated both the confidence of her trainer and the betting public by winning her career debut as an 8-5 favorite here last December. She registered a half-length decision over the speedy Day by Day while going six furlongs over a sloppy track. She returned nine weeks later to finish third against a strong field of allowance foes. Race winner Ghalia subsequently captured the Sunland Park Oaks, and runner-up Modacious has since finished fourth and fifth in Grade 2 stakes.

“I think she’s a talented filly,” said Nicks. “Obviously, she got it done the first time. She made a couple of mistakes in her second start, including running a little green through the stretch. She’s training well, and at the end of the day, I think she’ll go further and can turn out to be a nice horse. But we’ve got to get her past this condition first, see if she’ll mature and move on to the next step.”

Of Bones’s six rivals on Thursday, only Ladies Day has run a higher Beyer Speed Figure than the 74 that Bones posted last out.

Ladies Day earned a 77 Beyer for her six-length maiden victory at Belmont Park in October. She’s been idle, however, since stumbling at the start and finishing far back while stretching out to nine furlongs in the Grade 2 Demoiselle on Nov. 26. Trained by Tom Albertrani for Godolphin Racing, Ladies Day has turned in a series of three- and four-furlong works at Palm Meadows.

The pace should be honest, with Midnight Union and Consulting expected to show early speed.

Midnight Union contested a lively pace before fading to finish fourth under similar conditions in her last start. Consulting returns to the main track after chasing the leaders and finishing well back in the Melody of Colors Stakes going five furlongs on turf here Feb. 25.

Gran Cherry returns to a more suitable spot after being overmatched in the Grade 2 Davona Dale on March 4. She had finished a rallying second when launching her 3-year-old campaign going six furlongs in January.

Key Contenders

Bones, by Kantharos

Beyers: 74-67

◗ Nicks said Bones missed a little training after her last start due to a lung infection.

“I think it was allergy related and don’t believe it affected her performance at all the last time she ran,” he said.

Ladies Day, by Bernardini

Last 3 Beyers: 0-77-46

◗ She’s out of the stakes winning dam Connie Belle and is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Been Here Before.