The road to what hopefully will end in a third straight Breeders’ Cup appearance at year’s end for Diamond Oops continues Saturday at Gulfstream Park when the versatile sprinter takes on seven rivals as a solid favorite in the $200,000 Smile Sprint. Diamond Oops, who finished eighth in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and sixth last fall in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, will be making his third start of the current campaign. He prepped for the Grade 3 Smile with a hard-fought victory over Miles Ahead in a six-furlong overnight handicap on June 5 after opening the season by finishing fourth in defense of his title in the Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs five weeks earlier. Diamond Oops, Grade 1-placed on both turf and dirt, has won six of his 10 starts over the Gulfstream Park main track, including the 2019 Smile for trainer Patrick Biancone. “We thought about taking him out of town, but he likes this track so we decided to keep the traveling money in our pocket this time because we know he’ll be traveling for his next start, either to Del Mar or Saratoga,” Biancone said. “I believe he’s a little better on dirt, especially at six furlongs, and I think he might be as good as he’s ever been right now. :: DRF Bets players get free Daily Racing Form Past Performances and up to 5% weekly cashback. Click to learn more. “Last year got messed up a little because of the virus. But this year the Smile is back in its proper spot and so far we’re following exactly the plans we’ve laid out for him, with the Breeders’ Cup Sprint the goal once again.” Florent Geroux, who rode Diamond Oops in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup as well as to his two graded stakes wins a year ago, will have the mount back Saturday. Trainer Kathy Ritvo will take on the favorite with a three-pronged attack, having entered Double Crown, Frosted Grace, and Ournationonparade. Double Crown, runner-up in the Grade 3 Chick Lang in his 3-year-old finale, opened his current campaign with a last-to-first allowance win on May 23 that came at the direct expense of the even-money Chance It. Frosted Grace shipped to Pimlico to finish a strong third in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint in his last start after opening the season with second-place efforts in both the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint and Sir Shackleton. A model of consistency, Frosted Grace has finished third or better in 16 of his last 17 starts, including 15 in a row on dirt. Ournationonparade set a contested pace before giving way grudgingly to finish third, two lengths behind Diamond Oops, one month earlier. Chance It is expected to move forward off his second-place finish behind Double Crown on May 23, the first start for the multiple stakes winner since the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby 14 months earlier. Chance It is another horse for the course, having posted four victories and three seconds from seven local outings. Miles Ahead is in far and away the best form of his career, having posted a pair of victories before dropping a head decision to Diamond Oops as the even-money favorite after taking the lead between calls at midstretch. He has posted Beyer Speed Figures of 95 twice and 96 in his last three starts. The Grade 1-placed Shivaree and Willy Boi complete the field.