Fast Anna tries turf in return
It will be an afternoon of firsts for Fast Anna on Thursday at Gulfstream Park. He leads the $60,000 Sawgrass Handicap, which will be his first race since a close fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last November. Fast Anna, a front-runner, also will be making his turf debut in the five-furlong race and will be breaking from the rail for the first time.
The Sawgrass is for 3-year-olds and up and goes as the third race. Fast Anna is the 121-pound highweight in a field of seven that includes Breitling Flyer, the probable second choice off an optional $62,500 claiming win on turf at Gulfstream, and Phish Fan, who is entered for the main track only.
Sawgrass Handicap (Race 3)
Key contenders
Fast Anna (Last 3 Beyers: 98-97-95)
◗ He comes off perhaps the best race of his career. He set smoking fractions in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 1 before finishing fifth, 2 1/2 lengths behind winner and eventual champion Work All Week.
◗ The BC Sprint has produced three next-out winners. Private Zone, who was third, returned to capture the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct with a Beyer Speed Figure of 110. Salutos Amigos, who was seventh, rebounded with a win in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap at Aqueduct with a 105 Beyer. Big Macher, the ninth-place finisher in the BC Sprint, came back to win the $100,000 Cary Grant at Del Mar with a 98 Beyer.
◗ Fast Anna shows a pair of bullet works at Gulfstream, going a half-mile in 46.60 seconds May 16 and five-eighths in 1:00.20 on May 30.
◗ As for turf, Fast Anna’s sire, Medaglia d’Oro, gets 11 percent debut turf winners and 13 percent winners overall on grass.
◗ Fast Anna’s dam, champion Dreaming of Anna, was a graded stakes winner on grass. Her turf record was 8 for 13 for earnings of more than $900,000. Overall, Dreaming of Anna banked $2 million and won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
◗ Fast Anna broke from post 12 last out in the Breeders’ Cup, when he ran the opening half-mile in 43.20 seconds. Breaking from the rail Thursday, he should be able to take the shortest way home.
◗ Michael Ritvo rides for his mother, trainer Kathy Ritvo. He is 2 for 2 on Fast Anna, with both of those wins coming over the main track at Gulfstream.
◗ Frank Calabrese bred and owns Fast Anna.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Fast Anna. Trainer Kathy Ritvo is 35-1-4-4 with a $0.19 ROI over the past five years with horses racing on turf for the first time. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Guarimbero. Trainer Juan Rodriguez is 18-3-0-1 with a $4.73 ROI over the past year in five-furlong turf sprints at Gulfstream Park. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan