First Mondays headed north in quest of big game

With a couple of eye-catching performances at Gulfstream Park under his belt, First Mondays will soon leave South Florida to get his first test in much tougher company.

Trainer John Servis said First Mondays is scheduled to be shipped next weekend from the Palm Meadows training center to his main base at Parx Racing in suburban Philadelphia, where the 3-year-old colt will train toward the Grade 3, $300,000 Smarty Jones on Aug. 25. A good effort could then lead to a start in the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 22 at Parx.

First Mondays, a Maryland-bred chestnut son of Curlin, is unbeaten in two starts. He won a six-furlong maiden race on June 28 by 3 3/4 lengths, earning a 78 Beyer Speed Figure, then upped the ante by winning a one-mile allowance race last Sunday by 1 3/4 lengths for an 83 Beyer. Roberto Alvarado Jr. was aboard for both starts.

First Mondays was a $450,000 yearling purchase at Fasig-Tipton Timonium in October 2016 by Glenangus Farm LLC, the nom de course of the Dresher family of Harford County, Md.

12 races on tap Sunday

A pair of allowance sprints for fillies and mares highlight a 12-race Sunday card that brings another race week to an end at Gulfstream.

Race 5 is scheduled for five furlongs on turf, while race 10, restricted to Florida-breds, goes at six furlongs on the main track. The second allowance is part of a Rainbow 6 sequence that spans races 7-12 and had a carryover jackpot of $627,139 when racing began Friday. First post is 12:45 p.m. Eastern.

After Sunday, Gulfstream goes dark for three days before another four-day race week resumes Thursday.