HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Martin Drexler has gleaned a large following among local horseplayers since becoming a regular at the Gulfstream Park Championship meet earlier this decade. And while the 2025-26 session has not been up to his usual standards, Drexler has begun to catch fire of late, a streak he hopes to continue when sending out Clay Soldier as arguably the horse to beat in Friday’s $54,000 allowance and optional-claiming feature for Florida-bred fillies and mares. Drexler, who has finished second in the Woodbine standings behind perennial leading trainer Mark Casse each of the past three seasons, won 18 races here during the 2024-25 Championship meet and 20 the previous winter. He enters this weekend with only seven wins at the meet, three of which came last weekend, including an eye-catching, 6 1/4-length tally by Reagan’s Flame in an overnight handicap over the Tapeta course. The 5-year-old mare earned a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure. Despite the disappointing win total, Drexler is still keeping his loyal supporters happy by sporting a very strong $2.75 ROI for the session. Clay Soldier, who is in for the optional $20,000 tag, will be returning to statebred company for the first time since winning a similarly conditioned race going five furlongs on the turf by a hard-fought neck over Happy Ride here 11 months ago. The win came in Clay Soldier’s second start since being claimed by Drexler for $12,500 out of a winning effort six weeks earlier. :: Get Gulfstream Park Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the Clocker Team. Available every race day.  Clay Soldier spent the summer and fall at Woodbine, winning a $25,000 claiming dash on grass Aug. 29. She has started twice since returning to South Florida, finishing third over the turf and a wide-running fifth on Tapeta against open, optional-claiming and allowance opposition. Drexler has reached out to leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. to handle Clay Soldier for the first time on Friday. The race has a field of eight that includes key contenders I’mwishingonastar, who is coming off a pair of second-place finishes; Baby Blocks, who had finished second on four straight occasions before finishing off the board in her most recent outing; Lucy’s Cookie, a narrowly beaten second against open $20,000 rivals in her 2026 debut; and last-out maiden winners Silent Wrath and Chitchatchitchat. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.