Fellowship tries to turn back invaders in Smooth Air
MIAMI – If there is one question that stands out on Saturday’s 11-race program at Gulfstream Park West, it is: How will the locally based juveniles stack up against the Northern invaders in all six of the 2-year-old stakes that highlight the final card of the 2015 meeting? The six stakes – four on the main track and two on turf – offer purses of $75,000 apiece.
Perhaps the one south Florida regular with the best chance of bringing home top honors in the three open races on the program is Fellowship, who might go postward the slight favorite over Rafting in the one-mile Smooth Air. The six-furlong Buffalo Man seems to favor Pirellone and Full Salute, who have done all their racing to this point up north, over Gulfstream-based contenders Bullet Gone Astray, Drama Club, and Brighton Lane. A bevy of Northern-based horsemen has come to town with key contenders in the one-mile Pulpit, including Mountain Music Man, Surgical Strike, Tiznoble, and Brass Compass. The home team will counter with recent stakes winner Little Nick V. and Swagger Jagger.
Smooth Air (race 4)
Fellowship moved to the top of the local 2-year-old division by virtue of his visually impressive, last-to-first, 4 1/2-length triumph Oct. 3 in the 1 1/16-mile In Reality Stakes at Gulfstream. The homebred ran well again while turning back to 6 1/2 furlongs in his last start, only to run out of real estate as his closing surge fell 1 1/4 lengths shy of catching race winner Li’l Meatball.
Rafting won his maiden in impressive fashion this summer at Saratoga, rallying to a 2 1/4-length victory going seven furlongs in his second career start. He came back six weeks later to finish third in a competitive entry-level allowance while stretching out around two turns at Keeneland.
Key contenders
Fellowship (Last 3 Beyers: 68-74-54)
* He’s going to need help up front, considering his late-running style, and there is not a lot of pace in this field. He also must concede weight to all seven rivals, including six pounds to Rafting.
Rafting (Last 3 Beyers: 71-74-50)
* He shares the top Beyer Speed Figure in the field with Fellowship and figures to have a tactical advantage as he’ll likely have first run over his chief rival after breaking from an advantageous inside post going a mile.
El Charro (Last 3 Beyers: 59-59-67)
* The only other multiple winner in the lineup along with Fellowship, he is coming off a huge victory over this course and distance.
Buffalo Man (race 8)
Pirellone turned in a huge effort when beaten a neck by Greenpointcrusader after making the lead in midstretch while debuting this summer at Saratoga and had the race flattered when the winner returned to take the Grade 1 Champagne in his next start.
Full Salute is one of three stakes winners in the lineup. He also finished second behind Sunny Ridge in the one-mile Sapling at Monmouth. Sunny Ridge since has finished second in both the Champagne and the rich Delta Jackpot.
Key contenders
Pirellone (Last 2 Beyers: 71-81)
* Trainer Ralph Nicks owns a 22 percent success rate and a $1.90 ROI with horses going from routes to sprints over the last five years, according to DRF Formulator.
Full Salute (Last 3 Beyers: 65-81-72)
* Not crazy about the fact that regular rider Paco Lopez shows up in here on Formal Summation for trainer Kathleen O’Connell, but it’s hard to fault the choice of leading rider Edgard Zayas as his replacement.
Bullet Gone Astray (Last 3 Beyers: 66-61-38)
* Has failed to replicate the form that saw him dominate the Mountaineer Juvenile, but his last race was an improvement, and he races with Lasix for the first time Saturday.
Pulpit (race 5)
Mountain Music Man won the Awad Stakes in his turf debut last month at Belmont Park despite acting up in the gate prior to the race. He comes into the Pulpit undefeated in two starts for trainer Todd Pletcher.
Surgical Strike finished fifth of 14 in his turf debut at Keeneland in the Grade 3 Bourbon before returning to just miss behind gate-to-wire winner One Legend as the favorite against allowance company in his last start.
Brass Compass proved competitive while making his stakes debut in the Grade 3 Pilgrim, finishing fifth, beaten just two lengths by Isotherm, and has improved considerably since stretching out and adding blinkers and Lasix earlier this year for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr.
Key contenders
Mountain Music Man (Last 3 Beyers: 80-70)
* He owns top Beyer of the bunch along with Tiznoble but must concede four to six pounds to all 13 rivals.
Surgical Strike (Last 3 Beyers: 78-69-67)
* He continues to improve from a Beyer standpoint with each successive start.
Brass Compass (Last 3 Beyers: 77-63-59)
* He has been gelded since the Pilgrim and reunites with Lopez, who guided him to his maiden win this summer at Monmouth.