Grade 3 winners duel in Trinniberg at Gulfstream

City of Weston will be returning to one of his preferred distances Saturday when he takes on fellow Grade 3 winner Falling Sky in the $75,000 Trinniberg at Gulfstream Park.

The race named for the champion sprinter of 2012 will be run over seven furlongs. Others set to start include Grande Shores, a stakes winner coming off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Smile Sprint Handicap.

City of Weston also exits the Smile, a six-furlong race in which he finished sixth, a length behind Grande Shores. The added furlong City of Weston picks up in the Trinniberg could serve the horse well, as he won the $60,000 Blue Heron at seven furlongs three starts back at Gulfstream.

“His record at seven-eighths is impeccable,” said Peter Walder, who trains City of Weston for Loooch Racing Stables. “From six starts, he’s got three wins and two thirds, so he’s five for six in the money going seven-eighths. And his best two Beyers in the past year have been going seven-eighths. He got a 92 on Jan. 14 when he won a two-other-than optional [claiming race], and he got a 91 when he won the stakes for us.”

KEY CONTENDERS

City of Weston (Last 3 Beyers: 82-80-91)

◗ City of Weston closed from next-to-last in the Smile Sprint. The race run July 5 at Gulfstream was his most recent start and likely his final one at six furlongs, Walder said.

“He’s not a three-quarter horse anymore,” Walder said. “As far as I’m concerned, he’ll never run shorter than seven-eighths again. I’d like to stretch him out even further. He’s by Holy Bull, so he’s bred to run longer.”

◗ Walder looks for City of Weston to be closer to the pace than he was last time, on account of the added distance Saturday. The horse will break from the rail under Jesus Rios.

Falling Sky (Last 3 Beyers: 73-98-95)

◗ He’s also run some big races at seven furlongs, taking the Grade 3 Gulfstream Sprint at the distance in February 2014. For the effort, he earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 103.

◗ Falling Sky was eighth last out in the Smile in what was his first race since August 2014.

Grande Shores (Last 3 Beyers: 86-85-90)

◗ He is a half-brother to Jackson Bend, a Grade 1 winner of $1.8 million.