Conviction looks like solid favorite in Friday's feature

Trainer Todd Pletcher appears to hold the upper hand in Friday’s $43,000 feature at Gulfstream Park, sending out likely favorite Conviction along with Vees Boy in the one-mile, first-level optional $16,000 claimer for older horses.

Conviction has been gelded since finishing a distant sixth under allowance conditions at Saratoga on July 23. A well-bred son of Tapit, Conviction is a half-brother to Grade 1 winners Pretty City Dancer and Lear’s Princess. He was an impressive maiden winner late last spring at Monmouth Park while also second behind stablemate Ready Dancer in a nine-furlong allowance race this summer at Belmont Park.

Vees Boy has also been away more than two months, having gone to the sidelines following a fourth-place finish as the odds-on favorite against straight 3-year-olds at Monmouth on July 16.

The compact field also includes Cheech Thunder, who has captured six of his last seven starts, all against claiming or starter-allowance opposition.