HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – As a 2-year-old, Breeze On By was king of the hill around these parts, winning the first two legs of the Florida Sire Series during the summer of 2020 before finishing second as the odds-on favorite following an eventful trip when trying to stretch around two turns in his season finale, the 1 1/16-mile In Reality Stakes. Unfortunately, Breeze On By’s 3-year-old campaign hasn’t gone nearly as well. The homebred son of Cajun Breeze was sidelined nearly six months following a disappointing showing early last spring in the Sophomore Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs before returning to finish sixth after setting a contested pace against allowance company on Sept. 11. On Friday, Breeze On By returns against the same caliber of competition he faced in his previous outing in the afternoon’s main event at Gulfstream Park, a $52,000 allowance dash carded at 6 1/2 furlongs over the main track. Trainer Ralph Nicks feels the race should reveal a lot about just where his horse might be headed. “He had some issues after the race at Tampa,” Nicks began when asked what precipitated the long layoff earlier this year. “And he probably needed one last time. That being said, the form from those races [Florida Sire Series] last year really hasn’t been holding up. So I think this start should tell us both where he is and what he is at this time.” Breeze On By, who contested the pace into the stretch before tiring in his comeback outing, will break from the extreme outside in a field of seven, a post Nicks thinks should be to his advantage. :: Bet the races with confidence on DRF Bets. You're one click away from the only top-rated betting platform fully integrated with exclusive data, analytics, and expert picks. “I like the post, with my preference being that he outruns them for the lead if he can,” Nicks said. “That’s what he did when he was at his best, he’d run horses off their feet.” Breeze On By’s six rivals include the hard-knocking veteran Front Loaded, who finished second, beaten a neck by Cajun Brother, going six furlongs under similar conditions in his last start. A popular item at the claim box over the past year, Front Loaded is far and away the winningest horse in the field with 10 victories from 45 starts, the most recent coming here in early May under a $35,000 claiming tag for which he received a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure. Front Loaded breaks from the rail on Friday with Chantal Sutherland aboard once again for trainer Jorge Delgado. Other key contenders include Blessed Journey, Reservenotattained, and Mister Luigi, one of two horses entered in the race by trainer Antonio Sano. Blessed Journey, a bit of an inconsistent sort who can be very tough when on his game, steps up in company off an impressive four-length victory going seven furlongs against $20,000 claiming opposition five weeks earlier. Reservenotattained makes his first start since being haltered for $20,000 out of a second-place finish over a sloppy strip on Aug. 14. Reservenotattained was the scourge of the starter-allowance set here last winter, winning three straight races while posting a 99 Beyer for his 6 1/4 length victory in his 2021 debut. Mister Luigi is a lightly raced but steadily improving 3-year-old who spent the summer at Saratoga where he finished second, beaten a neck, against $50,000 starter-allowance competition just 19 days after a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Amsterdam.