Bullet Gone Astray goes from frying pan to fire
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – After running in 10 consecutive stakes races since winning his maiden at first asking here nearly a year ago, Bullet Gone Astray will finally get some class relief dropping in against allowance company for Sunday’s $44,000 seventh race. Or will he?
While Bullet Gone Astray at long last gets the opportunity to go up against second-level allowance company, he will be facing older horses for the first time in his career as the lone 3-year-old in the seven-furlong headliner. So, in actuality, Bullet Gone Astray may be facing tougher company than he has in the majority of his races since capturing the Mountaineer Juvenile in August. He will certainly need to improve off his last two tries, when he finished far back in both the Sophomore Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and the English Channel Stakes on turf here just two weeks ago.
Two of Bullet Gone Astray’s five rivals come from the barn of leading trainer Ralph Nicks, including Abounding Legacy, the likely favorite and horse to beat. Abounding Legacy won handily at this same condition in his 3-year-old finale in December and comes off good tries with much stronger in his last two starts, including a second-place finish behind J S Bach going a mile March 19.
Nicks also will send out Unbridled Hero, who withstood a torrid early pace duel before holding on for a well-deserved three-quarter-length triumph making his 2016 bow April 15. He figures to slug things out early with Phish Fan, a speedy 6-year-old who has not started since finishing a tiring sixth in the Sensitive Prince overnight stakes around two turns here eight months earlier.
Joshua’s Comprise owns far and away the largest bankroll of the bunch, with a good chunk of his $307,000 in earnings coming from his distant second-place finish to champion Mucho Macho Man in the Sunshine Millions Classic in January 2014. This will mark the third start on the comeback trail for Joshua’s Comprise, who has run just three times since June 2014 and has not won a race since summer 2013.
key CONTENDERS
Bullet Gone Astray, by Gone Astray
(Last 3 Beyers: 57-65-69)
◗ He has been third in stakes three times since winning the Mountaineer Juvenile, most recently after an unlucky start in the Spectacular Bid on March 19.
Abounding Legacy, by Flashstorm
(Last 3 Beyers: 78-88-79)
◗ He owns a win at the distance, having rallied to an easy three-length allowance tally against restricted company while earning a career-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure over this track last September.
Unbridled Hero, by Unbridled’s Song
(Last 3 Beyers: 69-60-39)
◗ Ran a career-best 79 Beyer in his second start off a nine-month layoff here last summer. This will be his second start off a 6 1/2-month hiatus.
Phish Fan, by Sharp Humor
(Last 3 Beyers: 73-88-89)
◗ He is the only five-time winner in the field and has plenty of works under his belt for trainer Leo Gabriel Jr. in preparation for his return.