Gigantic Breeze an unknown quantity on dirt

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The $200,000 Claiming Crown Jewel is the main event Saturday on opening day of the 2017-18 Gulfstream Park Championship meet. And in the true spirit of the Claiming Crown, the 1 1/8-mile Jewel drew a large and competitive field of 13 horses coming off races run at eight different racetracks throughout the U.S. and Canada.

The horse who traveled farthest to compete in the Jewel is Gigantic Breeze, who is far and away the richest member of the field, but also the biggest question mark. Gigantic Breeze, stabled regularly at Woodbine with trainer Sandy McPherson, has captured five of his seven starts in 2017, including the Grade 2 Autumn earlier this month at Woodbine. But the vastly improved son of Giant’s Causeway has made all 17 career starts on either artificial surfaces or turf, and will be trying dirt for the first time in the Jewel.

“He’s trained on dirt a little bit and he’s a big, strong horse who doesn’t hit the ground real hard, at least over the Tapeta surface, but to be honest I really have no idea how he’s going to handle the dirt,” said McPherson. “He might not like it at all, but then again I also don’t know that he won’t be better on it, either. The horse seems to be getting better with every subsequent start, so there’s really only one way to find out.”

Owned by Hopefield Farm, Gigantic Breeze won just one of his first 10 starts and finished last in a conditioned-claiming race at Woodbine to close out his 2016 campaign. McPherson had him gelded shortly thereafter, an equipment change that has turned his career around completely.

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“He was a really difficult horse to train, but since he’s been castrated he’s like a dream,” said McPherson. “Like the old adage says, he’s a completely different horse now.”

McPherson has other concerns aside from the surface change coming into the Jewel.

“He’s coming back in just 20 days and shipped 1,500 miles to get here,” said McPherson. “But I’m from the old school that says it doesn’t make a lot of sense to stop on a horse that’s doing this good. This race looks like the best spot available for him at the moment, so we’re going to take a shot and see what happens.”

Gigantic Breeze will be ridden in the Jewel by his regular jockey Gary Boulanger, who returns to Gulfstream Park for the first time since suffering near-fatal injuries in a spill during the Mac Diarmida Handicap more than 12 years ago. Boulanger was away from the racetrack completely for four years recuperating from the mishap, began riding again in 2013, and is in the midst of his best season since launching his comeback – a season in which Gigantic Breeze has played a big part.

“I’m blessed and very fortunate to have been able to come back from all the injuries and to have the opportunity to ride again,” said Boulanger, who has no recollection of any part of the race or the fall he took in the 2005 Mac Diarmida. “Gigantic Breeze was with Mike DePaulo as a 2-year-old, and they thought a lot of him then. But he did little things wrong and then got progressively worse – he was completely ignorant as a 3-year-old. But after being gelded, he’s just been a completely different animal. I worked him on the dirt in his last breeze, and he handled it very efficiently. You never know until they try it in the afternoon, but he doesn’t give me the impression he’ll struggle over it.”

The Jewel is the ninth and final stakes on Saturday’s opening-day program, with first post time set at noon Eastern. This will mark the sixth year the Claiming Crown will be run at Gulfstream Park. Last year’s Claiming Crown produced a record handle for the event of more than $11 million.

The field for the Jewel, in post position order, consists of Chunnel (Nik Juarez to ride), Turco Bravo (Jose Lezcano), Clubman (Sheldon Russell), Diamond Bachelor (Lane Luzzi), Dreaming of Gold (Emisael Jaramillo), Gigantic Breeze (Boulanger), Capital Letters (Corey Lanerie), Fearless Dragon (Aby Medina), Jay’s Way (Chris Landeros), Dream Saturday (Juan Diaz), Indian Guide (Jose Batista), Flashy Jewel (Tyler Gaffalione), and Flowers for Lisa (Paco Lopez).

Total handle gains at Gulfstream West

Total handle at the recently concluded Gulfstream Park West meeting was up 10.33 percent over the previous year ($143 million compared to $130 million) despite an inclement fall season that resulted in 58 races being taken off the grass in 2017, the track said. The figures reflect three additional days of racing this year compared to 2016.

Average handle per card during the 40-day meet was $3.58 million, up 2 percent compared with average handle of $3.51 million over 37 days last year.

“We’re pleased that fans and horsemen continue to support the Gulfstream Park West meet,” said Bill Badgett, general manager of Gulfstream Park. “We believe the fall meet is important to Florida racing as we continue to rebuild year round racing in this area. Hopefully we’ll be able to build on this momentum with the opening of the Championship meet on Saturday.”

--additional reporting by Matt Hegarty