Dubai Bob will look to wire turf sprint

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Sunday’s main event at Gulfstream Park will offer a $50,000 purse and be decided at five furlongs on turf under first-level allowance and optional-claiming conditions. A field of 11 plus one entrant for the main track only were entered, led by Dubai Bob, a winner of two of his last three starts for the partnership of Averill Racing and Matties Racing, the same group that owns the world-record-holding turf sprinter Pay the Price.

Dubai Bob does his best when on the front end, and he’ll likely face a stiff challenge for the lead from, among others, the speedy Ima Wildcat, who is rarely headed early in turf sprints. Ima Wildcat comes off a third-place finish against open $15,000 claiming company at Laurel two months ago.

Other key contenders include the late-running Frisky Magician, Canadian invader Uncle B, and Chief Exchanger.

Purse increase for December

Forty-eight hours before the Gulfstream Park championship meet opened, track management announced a 10 percent purse increase for December. The unexpected hike was precipitated by the big business gains during the recently concluded Gulfstream Park West session. Total handle for the eight-week meet was up more than 10 percent from the previous year.

“Business was up in November at Gulfstream West, and this gives us the ability to increase purses throughout the month of December for the championship meet,” said Bill Badgett, general manager of Gulfstream Park.

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