Casse horses loom as allowance contenders
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A pair of first-level allowance/$25,000 optional-claiming races – a route over the Tapeta track and a sprint on turf – highlight Thursday’s card at Gulfstream Park, and trainer Mark Casse has horses that loom as contenders in both.
In race 7, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles over Tapeta, Casse sends out Street Earnings, who has to overcome post 9 in a field of 10 colts and geldings. Street Earnings comes into this race having finished second in two starts in this condition, one at this trip last October and one on turf going a mile in November.
“He’s a horse we were high on early on and he could never get it together,” Casse said. “Finally, we ran him for a price and he won easy, and he’s been running extremely well since. He’s pretty good on turf, but he definitely likes synthetic.”
That Street Earnings has some early speed bodes well, as Dylan Davis will likely have to use it to establish position breaking from post 9.
Jose D’Angelo has the uncoupled pair of Rotterdam and Spy Hunter in this spot. Rotterdam came off a nine-month layoff to win a $35,000 claimer going 1 1/16 miles on turf. In December 2023, when in the barn of Ralph Nicks, Rotterdam won his maiden going 1 1/16 miles on synthetic. Luis Saez rides.
Spy Hunter has not run since June, when he finished last at 2-1 odds in this condition. Fortune Seller, elevated to first in an optional claimer at Tampa last out on turf, and Lights of Braodway are other contenders in this field.
In race 9, Casse brings Creed’s Gold back to the races off a seven-month layoff since she finished third in the Alywow Stakes, going 6 1/2 furlongs on turf at Woodbine. Casse said this five-furlong turf race is probably shorter than Creed’s Gold wants to run, but added that she’s trained extremely well.
“I often like giving those 3-year-olds time to grow up, and that‘s what I did with her, and she’s come back big and strong,” Casse said. “It’s a little short for her, but she’ll give a good account of herself.”
There does appear to be plenty of early speed types in this field, including Vindicate Cha Cha and Check the Grade, who line up side by side in posts 6 and 7.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. brings The Dove Rules back to the races off a four-month layoff since she won a statebred allowance over the Tapeta track on Sept. 27. She has a second and third in two tries sprinting on turf and will have to overcome post 11 in this spot.
Definite Diva, trained by Kelly Breen, has two thirds and a second in her last three sprint tries on turf, all at big prices. The presence of Luis Saez aboard on Thursday likely brings down the price but raises her chances.
Waittilmidnitehour, trained by Michael Trombetta, nearly pulled a 15-1 upset when falling by a neck in this condition Nov. 28 at Gulfstream. She came back and had a troubled trip when finishing fourth as the favorite on Dec. 26.
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