Golden Sabre looks to fire fresh again in optional claimer

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Saturday is the biggest day of the meet at Tampa Bay Downs, with the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby headlining a card with four stakes races. But the track still carded a solid feature for Friday’s 10-race program, a fourth-level optional $100,000 claimer in which Grade 3 stakes winner Golden Sabre will make his 2016 debut. The one-mile turf race drew a field of nine older horses.

Golden Sabre, a Sam-Son Farm homebred, ran in four consecutive graded stakes at Woodbine last year, winning the Grade 3 Durham Cup by 2 1/2 lengths Oct. 3 with a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure. He also was the runner-up in the Grade 2 Sky Classic and Grade 2 Nijinsky before finishing seventh last out Nov. 8 in the Grade 2 Autumn.

Golden Sabre has run on the Tampa turf course once, finishing a strong third to Guys Reward in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes in 2014. On Friday, he’ll be saddled by Tom Zwiesler, who is based at Sam-Son Farm’s property in Ocala, Fla. The horse has made all 13 of his prior starts for trainer Malcolm Pierce and will return to his barn at Woodbine later this year, Zwiesler said.

“He’s doing very well right now,” Zwiesler said. “We may be a work short for this race, but we’re looking for a spot to get him going for the year. He’s been on the farm all year training. He had a good work last week, and he’s had two good three-quarters works over the track here. He’s just been a hard-luck horse in that little, nagging things seem to spike up on him, but he’s very talented, as we know from his past races. He’s always run well fresh, and he’s coming back a bit better than he has previously.”

Golden Sabre, a 6-year-old gelding, will have Gary Boulanger aboard for the first time while breaking from the rail.

KEY CONTENDERS

Golden Sabre, by Medaglia d’Oro

Last 3 Beyers: 92-101-97

◗ He has fired while coming off the bench before, taking an optional $62,500 claimer in his 2015 debut and winning the Durham Cup off a short break of seven weeks.

Shatak, by Cryptoclearance

Last 3 Beyers: 97-96-85

◗ He has been training steadily here for his first start since a strong third-place finish last April in the Grade 3 Miami Mile. He shows six breezes here since mid-January, including a bullet five furlongs in 1:01 on Feb. 9.

Special Envoy, by Stroll

Last 3 Beyers: 93-93-83

◗ He’s 3 for 6 on the Tampa turf, with only one finish out of the money. He was the runner-up in the Grade 3 Cliff Hanger at Monmouth last summer and most recently was sixth in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes here last month.