Forecast for more rain complicates matters Wednesday

The old Yiddish adage “Man plans, God laughs,” seems appropriate for handicappers that have been playing Gulfstream Park West lately. The Miami track has been deluged with rain the past month, and more than not the races scheduled for turf have been moved to the main track. Due to heavy rain, last Sunday’s card was canceled.

Four of the races on Wednesday’s card are scheduled to be contested over turf. However, given the amount of recent rain and that showers are in the forecast, handicappers might want to wait until Wednesday morning to fine-tune their final figures.

A case in point is the sixth race, a $25,000 claimer for nonwinners of three or nonwinners since May 11. The one-mile race for fillies and mares serves as the feature for the eight-race card, which begins at 12:35 p.m. Pacific.

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There are 10 horses entered for turf. Yes Factor is entered for the main track only.

Hera and Stefanie On Fleek look like the main players on turf, and both have run okay on dirt.

Hera, trained by Carlos David, is coming off a sixth-place finish going five furlongs on turf in a first-level allowance race for Florida-breds that had a $20,000 claiming option. The 5-year-old daughter of Kantharos is a two-time winner on turf and she took them all the way going a mile on turf rated good in a $35,000 starter race with a $35,000 claiming option at Gulfstream Park last year. If the race does go as planned, there will be some moisture in the grass. She also won a $35,000 maiden claimer running over a main track rated good at Tampa Bay in her second start in 2018.

Hera will be ridden by Paco Lopez from an outside post and could be the one they have to run down if the race stays on turf. On dirt, she may have to stalk Yes Factor, who will be running in a conditioned claiming race for the first time.

The Anthony Margotta-trained Stefanie On Fleek has won only on turf, but she is coming off a third-place finish gong a mile on dirt in a $35,000 claimer for nonwinners of three that was washed off the turf Oct. 18 at Belmont.

Her two wins on turf came for trainer Todd Pletcher last year, in a maiden special weight race at Gulfstream and a $50,000 starter race at Keeneland. The 4-year-old filly has tactical speed and will need to use it breaking from the outside post with Edgard Zayas riding.

Lookinlikeaqueen, who will be making her first start for trainer Herman Wilensky, is the only four-time winner in the field. She could be dangerous moving to a route after not being able to keep up in a first-level allowance race with a $25,000 claiming option Sept. 17 at Gulfstream. She seems a bit iffy on dirt, as does Seeking Revenge, who will be rolling late if it stays on turf.