Debut winners clash in Thursday allowance

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Something will have to give when a trio of undefeated 3-year-olds put their records on the line in Thursday’s $34,000 main event at Gulfstream Park.

Grand Bili, Chipit, and Professor Jak each enter the seven-furlong optional-claiming dash off a debut victory. Grand Bili and Chipit figure to vie for favoritism, having won at the maiden special weight level. Professor Jak won under a $12,500 claiming tag.

Grand Bili, a son of City Zip, ran down the Todd Pletcher-trained 3-5 favorite Tennessee on Feb. 1, posting a three-quarter-length decision and earning an 84 Beyer Speed Figure. Grand Bili is trained by Gustavo Delgado for the Groupo 7C Racing Stable.

Pletcher trains Chipit, who overcame a slow beginning to win by three-quarters of a length March 7, earning a 71 Beyer. Like Grand Bili, his race came at 5 1/2 furlongs with Javier Castellano aboard.

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Professor Jak cruised to an 8 1/4-length triumph in a very weak field of bottom-level maidens going 6 1/2 furlongs March 6.

Yourdreamormine continues to hold his form well and looks like the best upset threat in the field.

Key contenders

Grand Bili (Beyer: 84)

◗ He loses Castellano but picks up the red-hot apprentice Tyler Gaffalione, giving him a five-pound weight advantage over his six rivals.

◗ He shows a gap of three weeks in works (Feb. 21 to March 14) since his last start.

◗ Trainer Delgado owns a 14 percent success rate and a 98-cent return on investment with horses having more than 60 days between starts over the last three years, according to DRF Formulator.

Chipit (Beyer: 71)

◗ He worked four furlongs in 49 seconds at Palm Beach Downs on April 3, the second-fastest work at the distance that morning. According to DRF clocker Dave Norton, Chipit’s work looked better than the bullet work turned in by the older multiple winner Demander.

◗ Fitzgerald, the runner-up to Chipit on March 7, came back to finish a tiring third with a 76 Beyer when stretching out to 6 1/2 furlongs.

Professor Jak (Beyer: 68)

◗ Only one of the seven horses he defeated in his debut earned a Beyer higher than 26 in their subsequent start.

Yourdreamsormine (Last 3 Beyers 68-79-65)

◗ He has the advantage of having already raced at this distance, finishing third with a 72 Beyer as a 2-year-old here last fall.