Fulmini, King of Dreams meet again in Not Surprising; Rainbow 6 mandatory payout on card
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Carlos David has some theories but nothing he could definitely put a finger on to explain why his Fulmini gave way so readily when facing King of Dreams for the first time in the English Channel Stakes here earlier this spring. But the up-and-coming young conditioner is hopeful the outcome will be a lot different when the two talented 3-year-old grass specialists square off again in Saturday’s $75,000 Not Surprising Stakes, carded at a mile on turf at Gulfstream Park.
The Not Surprising highlights a 12-race program that also will feature a mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 (races 7-12), which will begin with a carryover of just less than $500,000 if not hit on Friday.
Fulmini has registered two wins and a second since being claimed by David for $50,000 from Mike Maker out of his 3-year-old debut in January. Among those efforts was a second-place finish, beaten a neck by Annex, in the Cutler Bay Stakes. But Fulmini retreated badly in the 1 1/16-mile English Channel after stalking King of Dreams’s pace for six furlongs, finishing ninth, 8 1/4 lengths behind race winner Yes This Time.
“It might have been because he was chasing a little too close to the speed, might have been because the ground had some give in it, or maybe it was the distance,” David said when looking back on the English Channel. “A mile and one-sixteenth could be just a bit too far for him. I’m not sure what happened that day, although thankfully he bounced back with a big effort when regrouping and dropping in against softer competition in his next start.”
Fulmini returned with a game allowance win four weeks later, nailing Sigiloso right on the money after rating some five lengths off the leaders during the early going. Edwin Gonzalez was aboard that day, but it will be Edgard Zayas in the saddle for the Not Surprising.
“Edgard is the leading rider here, and he knows this horse well, having ridden him many times before I took him off of Mike,” David said. “He knows where he should be comfortable, and if he gets a good trip I expect this horse to give a much better account of himself than in the last stakes. I’m not sure how the weather will play, but if the race does come off the grass, I’ll give him another chance again on dirt.”
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There is a 40 percent chance of rain on Saturday.
King of Dreams finished a hard-luck second in the English Channel, succumbing grudgingly in the final sixteenth after setting a pressured pace throughout. He also returned to defeat allowance company off that effort, once again using his speed to its best advantage to register a hard-fought nose decision over Eamonn when stretching to 1 1/8 miles for the first time on June 4.
Sigiloso will attempt to avenge his heartbreaking loss to Fulmini. He broke slowly, raced wide, and gained a narrow advantage between calls at midstretch in the pair’s previous encounter. Sigiloso was returning to the turf that afternoon after finishing last in the Grade 1 Florida Derby in his previous start.
Bright Devil, like King of Dreams and Fulmini, comes into the Not Surprising off an allowance win on the turf, the first victory in the United States for the English import, who is trained by Mark Casse. Fighting Force and Perfect Silent Cat complete the field. Big Thorn could prove the horse to beat if the race is switched to the dirt as the lone main-track-only entry in the lineup.