Dubai Bob has the needed speed in optional claimer

There’s speed, and then there’s speed.

The 7-year-old Dubai Bob belongs in the latter camp, and despite the presence of several other front-runners, he has a good chance to shake loose in Thursday’s ninth race at Gulfstream Park, a five-furlong turf sprint for first-level allowance horses or $25,000 claimers.

Dubai Bob has made all nine of his starts this year in five-furlong turf sprints at Gulfstream or Gulfstream West, and won four of them. But perhaps it’s his two most recent losses that show Dubai Bob is is more than just another pop-and-stop front-runner.

In his last start, Dubai Bob was bumped at the start of a similar race on Dec. 3 and hooked up with Ima Wildcat, a Jorge Navarro-trained speedster who is almost never headed early. Dubai Bob disposed of Ima Wildcat and was still right there in midstretch before fading to fifth, beaten three lengths by Little Chesney, who has crossed the wire first in all three of his starts.

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In September, Dubai Bob got caught up in a wicked speed duel with Apache Brave in the Tamiami Handicap, going a quarter in 20.98 seconds and a half in 44.02. He ended up fifth in the 11-horse field, beaten 4 3/4 lengths in a race won by Extravagant Kid, who returned to win the Green Parrot. The stakes winner Brandy’s Girl was second.

When Dubai Bob is able to clear early he is very hard to run down, as demonstrated by wire-to-wire victories in a starter allowance in November and a $10,000 claimer in July.

Trained by Ralph Ziadie, Dubai Bob will have Edgard Zayas aboard on Thursday for the third straight time.

Mar Vista Miguel and Shoshone Brave are the two most likely to put early pressure on Dubai Bob. Mar Vista Miguel chased Dubai Bob on Dec. 3 and finished just in front of him in fourth. Shoshone Brave comes off a third in a similar race at Gulfstream West on Nov. 17, won by Thursday opponent Zandar.

Zandar and The Zip Zip Man will be coming late for Dubai Bob.

Zandar rallied from seven lengths back to win on Nov. 17, his last start, and won an optional $62,500 claiming sprint at Kentucky Downs in September. The Zip Zip Man came flying wide and missed by a head to Little Chesney on Dec. 3. He was claimed for $25,000 out of that race and runs back for the same tag on Thursday for trainer Peter Walder.

◗ In Thursday’s first race, Florida Fabulous starts over after showing last winter and spring that she could be any kind.

Trained by David Fawkes, Florida Fabulous won her first two starts by a combined 14 1/2 lengths and was sent off at 7-2 for the Grade 2 Eight Belles at Churchill Downs on May 5. She finished 10th that day and then ran seventh and last in the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont on June 10. Thursday’s race, a second-level allowance for fillies and mares at seven furlongs, is her first since then.