Capture the Time, Nerve in for claiming tags after long layoffs
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – With the local horse population taking a big hit this past week following the conclusion of the Championship meeting, a fair majority of those equine snowbirds among the cream of the crop stabled here this winter, it comes as no surprise that Friday’s card at Gulfstream Park is bereft of an allowance race.
The main events on the nine-race program are a $33,000 high-priced conditioned claiming dash on the turf and a $31,000 starter/optional claimer to be decided at one mile, also on grass.
A field of eight older horses will go five furlongs while racing under $35,000 price tags in the afternoon’s eighth event. The key question for handicappers is what to do with the idled Capture the Time, who ran several very big races here from a Beyer Speed Figure standpoint a year ago but has not raced since finishing sixth in the Bob Umphrey Sprint on July 3.
The fact Capture the Time returns with a tag on his head certainly raises some red flags. It also is reasonable to believe the 4-year-old son of Uncaptured, who posted a pair of impressive victories over this course a year ago for trainer Reynaldo Yanez, might need a race with only four reported works on his résumé, the last of which was a half-mile in 48.60 seconds out of the gate on March 25 at Palm Meadows.
Coming in fresh and from his outside post, Capture the Time figures to show plenty of speed under jockey Sonny Leon and is likely to have plenty of company on the front end with Nerve and Silardi in the lineup.
Nerve also has been away quite some time and has not raced since registering a career-best effort winning a first-level allowance dash going five furlongs on the turf here late last May. He raises questions similar to Capture the Time while returning for the tag off a big effort and lengthy layoff.
Silardi has finished second under similar conditions after setting a contested pace in each of his last two starts and is likely the one to beat while making the third start of his current form cycle for trainer J.K. Sweezey.
The projected pace scenario would figure to play in favor of Xy Speed and Elusive Mischief, although neither had much excuse when finishing third and fifth, respectively, under similar conditions one month earlier. Xy Speed rallied mildly without menacing the leaders, Elusive Mischief lost ground from the top of the stretch to the wire after being hung wide around the turn.
Alley Oop Johnny figures to dominate the wagering in the sixth race coming off a 1 1/2-length victory going 1 1/16 miles against the same kind a month earlier.
Indy Lyon, who has sandwiched a pair of sharp second-place finishes around a disappointing effort over the Tapeta course in his last three starts, and Nerves of Steel, stepping up in company off a victory against lesser conditioned claiming rivals on March 5, are among the key contenders.
Venezuelan Triumph, a dull eighth as the 6-5 favorite over the synthetic course in his 2023 debut, also deserves consideration returning to arguably his preferred surface off what appears to have been a much needed outing off the layoff and can be expected to bounce back with a much improved showing Friday.
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