Garter and Tie gets some class relief in Roar

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – You couldn’t ask for a more diverse lineup of contenders for a stakes race than the one set to assemble for Saturday’s $75,000 Roar at Gulfstream Park. The group runs the gamut from Garter and Tie, whose last start came in the $1 million Florida Derby, and Gladiator King, winner of the Grade 3 Hutcheson here on March 23, to the former $50,000 claimer Bronzed and Promo Code, who enters the seven-furlong dash with just a single start.

The Roar, which drew a field of eight 3-year-olds, will share top billing on Saturday’s 12-race program with its filly counterpart, the $75,000 Game Face. Both are at seven furlongs on the main track.

Garter and Tie finished 10th in the Florida Derby, far behind wire-to-wire winner Maximum Security, after breaking from post 11 and getting hung very wide during the early stages. The outing was the third this year for Garter and Tie, who began his 3-year-old campaign finishing third in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man and sixth in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull.

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“He’s been training good and looking good, so we’ll get him back to one turn and see if we can get him back on track,” said Ralph Nicks, who trains the homebred Garter and Tie for Jacks or Better Farm. “One turn has been where all his success has been at.”

Indeed, Garter and Tie first gained attention here last summer by rallying to defeat Well Defined in the seven-furlong Affirmed division of the Florida Sire Stakes. He concluded his 2-year-old campaign with a victory in the one-mile Smooth Air.

Gladiator King contested a demanding pace with the odds-on Hidden Scroll before finishing last in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, but bounced right back three weeks later to register a wire-to-wire four-length upset over the heavily favored Federal Case in the six-furlong Hutcheson. Trainer Jaime Mejia wasted little time sending Gladiator King to Keeneland for the Palisades Turf Sprint just 12 days later, but he was scratched after acting up at the starting gate.

Bronzed has proven an astute claim for the team of trainer Jason Servis and partnership of Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables, who took the son of Fed Biz for $50,000 out of a third-place finish here on Dec. 2. Bronzed has captured his two subsequent starts in wire-to-wire fashion, including a $50,000 starter allowance going a mile on March 15.

“He ran against horses like Mind Control and Uncle Benny as a 2-year-old,” said Servis, explaining the reasoning for dropping the claim slip on Bronzed.

Servis, who sent the stakes-winning Uncle Benny out to finish a narrowly beaten second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, said he likes the seven-furlong distance of the Roar for Bronzed.

“He started getting a little late going a mile,” said Servis. “I feel better about the seven-eighths.”

Promo Code, a $450,000 2-year-old purchase, ran to his $1.10-1 odds for trainer Todd Pletcher on March 9, opening a long lead at midstretch and holding for a comfortable 1 3/4-length victory going seven furlongs here. Jackson snapped a three-race losing streak when leading throughout to capture the Sophomore Stakes for Florida-breds three weeks ago at Tampa Bay Downs, his second stakes tally.

Cafe Du Monde, a statebred stakes winner in his native Louisiana, the much-improved Releasethethunder, and Take Command complete the field.

Servis will send out another $50,000 maiden winner, A Bit of Both, as the favorite and horse to beat in the Game Face. A Bit of Both, purchased privately in part by Dubb and Bethleham Stables shortly after her 11 3/4-length debut win here on Sept. 28 for trainer Kathleen O’Connell, is coming off a 10-length starter allowance win at six furlongs on March 14.

“We’re taking a big step here,” said Servis referring to the fact A Bit of Both will be making her stakes bow in the Game Face.

Brunette Princess, on the other hand, is coming off a stakes win after dead-heating for first in the six-furlong Any Limit four weeks ago. She was no match for A Bit of Both on Feb. 14, finishing a well-beaten second in a seven-furlong first-level allowance for Florida-breds.

Karama, a Shadwell Stable homebred, was a supplemental nominee to the Game Face. She comes in with only a single start under her belt, a 4 1/2-length maiden win going seven furlongs on Feb. 16 for trainer Michael Pino.