Former stablemates square off in allowance on turf

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Stat and his former stablemate Freedom Matters, the only two Florida-breds in the field, figure among the leading contenders in Wednesday’s $86,000 allowance feature at Gulfstream Park. The one-mile turf test goes as the seventh event on an eight-race program that begins at the new daily post time of 12:40 p.m.

Stat has shown dramatic improvement since winning his maiden under a $40,000 claiming tag for trainer Saffie Joseph here last summer. His last performance was easily his best yet, a wire-to-wire, two-length victory over $50,000 starter allowance opposition going a mile on the turf. He earned a career-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure. easily the highest last-race Beyer of any of the 11 horses entered.

The two key questions for Stat are whether he can repeat that kind of effort after having regressed from a Beyer standpoint off his previous two victories, and how not having the luxury of relaxing on an easy lead with the speedy Not Phar Now in the lineup will affect him.

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Freedom Matters is coming off an 86 Beyer victory of his own going a mile on the turf. The one-length decision against statebred allowance and optional-claiming opposition came less than two weeks ago. The 8-year-old Freedom Matters, a four time winner of more than $144,000 for Joseph last season, was claimed out of the win for $20,000 and will make his first start for trainer Martin Drexler on Wednesday.

Not Phar Now finished more than 20 lengths back in his last start when forced to contest a brutally fast pace after breaking from post 12 in a race similar to Wednesday’s. The draw was far kinder to the New York-bred on Wednesday. He drew the rail and figures to control the early running with Paco Lopez, aboard. Not Phar Now also earned a 91 Beyer when wiring a group of $25,000 starter-allowance foes going 1 1/16 miles in his 2023 debut on Jan. 13.

Another key to the race is whether Lucky Law is fit and ready for his best returning from a 22-month layoff for trainer Patrick Biancone. Lucky Law has been idle since finishing full of run to be second in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs in May of 2021. Lucky Law shows just five works prepping for his return, including six furlongs in 1:12.20 over the turf course at the Palm Meadows training center on Jan. 4.

Other key contenders include the lightly raced last-out maiden winner James Aloysius, the stakes-placed Double Clutch, Lord at War, and Fredo.

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