Detroit City back on preferred surface
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – After going on the road for the spring and summer, Detroit City is back to where he might feel most at home, over the Tapeta course at Gulfstream Park.
Detroit City looms one of several key contenders in Friday’s wide-open main event, a $52,000 optional-claiming and allowance dash to be decided at 5 1/2 furlongs over the synthetic surface. The race is one of two allowance events on a card that also includes a first-level optional-claiming and allowance test for 2-year-olds carded at 5 1/2 furlongs over the main track.
Detroit City registered a win and a second in his two previous starts over the Tapeta strip, his victory a convincing three-length decision over $50,000 starter-allowance competition for which he received a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure. That eclipsed his previous Beyer top, a 90, earned for a second-place finish over the same course several months earlier.
Trainer Jack Sisterson took Detroit City north following the conclusion of the 2022-23 Gulfstream championship meet, the son of Dialed In finishing off the board in a pair of allowance outings on grass at Keeneland and Saratoga before returning to the synthetic to beat a weaker field under similar conditions last month at Presque Isle Downs.
“We’ve always liked him, and he ran very well over this course in the past so the intent was to gradually work our way back here for the winter,” Sisterson said. “He beat weaker last time at Presque Isle. He’s taking on some nice individuals on Friday, but he should prove competitive in this spot and if he does, we’ll be happy.”
Detroit City is one of four horses in the field who will compete under a $62,500 claiming tag. He will break from the rail, which is of little concern to Sisterson.
“He seems like he’s always drawing the one,” Sisterson said. “He won from there last time at Presque Isle, so that shouldn’t be a problem, although like I said the competition will be a lot tougher this time.”
Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. will have a strong hand while sending out the pair of Rockin Roller and Klugman. Rockin Roller has won 2 of 6 starts over the course, including a softer optional-claiming and allowance test on Aug. 5 when rallying from the rear of the field to a neck triumph over Felix with Capture the Lion another neck further back in third. Capture the Lion, who also is in this field, flattered that effort when coming back five weeks later to win a similarly conditioned allowance race over the Tapeta while posting a lifetime-best 90 Beyer.
Klugman is coming off arguably the best effort of his career when running down the even-money Uncle B in just his second start over the synthetic strip. Uncle B also is a key contender Friday and will likely force what figures to be a very honest pace along with Capture the Lion and the Grade 3-placed Todo Fino, who is the class of the field but a question mark making his debut on the Tapeta surface.
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