Diamond Oops has best credentials by far in Opening Lead Stakes

Diamond Oops holds a distinct class advantage over six rivals in the $60,000 Opening Lead, which headlines the 10-race card at Gulfstream Park on Sunday. The six-furlong dash is slotted as the ninth race and is scheduled for approximately 4:14 p.m. Eastern.

Trained by Patrick Biancone, Diamond Oops is the only graded winner in the field. He won the Grade 3 Smile Sprint at Gulfstream last June and the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector at Gulfstream in December. In between those races, he showed a lot of quality by finishing second to Imperial Hint in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga. Imperial Hint came back to win the Grade 1 Vosburgh.

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Diamond Oops finished second in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland last October. Two starts later and back on his home track, he won the Mr. Prospector, defeating Imperial Hint, who was third.

The 5-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky is coming off a runner-up finish going a mile in a $55,000 overnight handicap won by Eye of a Jedi on June 13. Eye of a Jedi repeated in the $60,000 Sea of Tranquility on July 18.

The overnight handicap was Diamond Oops’s first start since he finished fourth in the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 25. He figures to be double tough in his second start back, and he certainly won’t mind the move back to the distance at which he won the Smile Sprint with a 105 Beyer Speed Figure. Plus, according to Daily Racing Form’s Formulator, the past couple of years Biancone has a 22-percent strike rate and $2.02 ROI with horses moving from a route to a sprint.

Diamond Oops will break from post 6 with Luca Panici riding.

The main threat could come from Cool Arrow, who is coming off a sharp win in a second-level allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option for trainer Terri Pompay on June 21.

With Miguel Vasquez riding, Cool Arrow broke alertly in the six-furlong dash, was eased into a stalking position, but got stuck behind horses and had to wait for room on the turn. When he found an opening on the rail in midstretch, he finished with a rush to win going away.

A 6-year-old gelding by Into Mischief, Cool Arrow will be making his third start for Pompay, who claimed him for $62,500 on behalf of My Purple Haze Stables on Feb. 7. He drew the rail with Leonel Reyes picking up the mount.

Trip handicappers will lean toward Mi Tres Por Ciento, who had a rough trip while finishing fourth to Cool Arrow. He was claimed out of the race by trainer Michael Maker.

Running for Riz was fifth to Cool Arrow, and came back to score a front-running victory over a sloppy track at the same level and distance for trainer Ralph Catanese on July 18.