Gentlmens Agrement faces stakes droppers in return from layoff
It’s a game of musical trainers, this featured fifth race on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
Stanley Gold used to train Best Plan Yet, but when Gold and Jacks or Better Farm parted ways this spring, Mark Casse took over Best Plan Yet’s training. Bill Kaplan used to train My Point Exactly, but Kaplan retired in April, and now it’s Gold who trains My Point Exactly. Mike Maker used to train both Aplomb and Quiet Force, but both were claimed earlier this year; now Joseph Catanese trains Aplomb, and Peter Walder trains Quiet Force. Oh, and Casse trains a second starter in the race, Conquest Pacemaker.
Now that we’ve cleared all that up – the featured fifth is a strong race for a basic second-level allowance with a non-winners-since condition appended and a $62,500 claiming option. Best Plan Yet, My Point Exactly, Quiet Force, and Conquest Pacemaker all made their most recent start in stakes competition, but the pick to score an upset is Gentlmens Agrement.
Gentlmens Agrement has only had one trainer, Leo Gabriel, and Gabriel quietly is having an excellent Gulfstream spring meet. He won another race Wednesday with Grand Isle, running his record at the meet to 4-2-0 from just seven starters.
Gentlmens Agrement, a Louisiana-bred like Grand Isle, has started his career with three wins. He has finished strongly in his two turf races, including a first-level allowance score over the Gulfstream course, and though Gentlmens Agrement hasn’t started since last May, Gabriel often has long-layoff comebackers ready to roll. He’ll be an appealing price with so many stakes droppers in the race.
Quiet Force is back on somewhat short rest but would be a handful if able to duplicate his fourth-place finish two weeks ago in the Grade 3 Miami Mile. The aptly named Conquest Pacemaker seems destined to lead, though his front-running tactics last year came in fairly slow-paced races. My Point Exactly had a strong 2015 campaign but lacked the same spark in three starts earlier this year.
Pletcher juvenile to New York
Bode’s Dream became the first winner for her sire, Bodemeister, when she scored a front-running victory in the second race Wednesday, and she looked good enough that trainer Todd Pletcher said Thursday he’ll point her to the $200,000 Astoria Stakes on June 9 at Belmont.
Bode’s Dream showed good speed and won by almost four lengths, and her final time of 51.26 seconds for 4 1/2 furlongs seemed quick (the sharp-looking winner Francesco Appeal went in 51.85 in Thursday’s third race), though the raw time is difficult to contextualize since there were only two other dirt races Wednesday.