Grande Shores tackles familiar foes in Groomstick
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Grande Shores will try to regain the honor of being called the leader of the local sprint division when he takes on familiar foes Falling Sky, Ledokol, and the recently arrived Valid in Saturday’s $75,000 Groomstick Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
The seven-furlong Groomstick shares top billing on the card with the $75,000 Panama City, scheduled for a mile on turf for older fillies and mares.
Grande Shores, a model of consistency over the last two years, gradually worked his way to the top of the division after winning a pair of sprint stakes and finishing second behind Valid in the Grade 3 Fred Hooper since the beginning of the 2014-15 championship meet. His amazing string of having finished first or second in 15 consecutive starts finally came to an end when he checked home fourth in the Grade 2 Smile Sprint this summer. Grande Shores has been freshened a bit since finishing third behind Falling Sky and Ledokol as the 8-5 favorite in the seven-furlong Trinniberg on Aug. 1.
“I can be an armchair quarterback, and Eddie [Castro] had to make a split-second decision, but he went to the outside when he shouldn’t have,” trainer Stanley Gold said. “He should have waited. There was plenty of space to go through. He doesn’t run his best race when he circles the field.”
Falling Sky, Grade 1-placed a year ago, returns to a more suitable spot after finishing a tiring seventh behind Private Zone in the Grade 1 Forego. Falling Sky rallied from just off the pace to beat Ledokol by a head in the Trinniberg.
Valid returns locally for the first time since finishing fifth as the even-money favorite in the Sir Shackleton on March 28. Valid is coming off an easy 3 1/2-length win over nemesis Bradester in the Grade 3 Iselin at Monmouth Park.
◗ Maid On a Mission will find the competition much more suitable to her talents than the group she faced last month in the Grade 1 Beverly D. when making her local debut in the Panama City.
Made On a Mission, who joined trainer Peter Walder’s barn this summer, seeks her first victory of the season Saturday. She was pulled up after losing contact with the field while racing over yielding ground in the Beverly D.
The pace should be an honest one in the Panama City, with Maid On a Mission likely to vie for the early lead along with In My Time, Zealous Cat, and perhaps Lemon Point, who will race in blinkers for the first time Saturday.
Groomstick, Race 10
Key Contenders
Grande Shores (Last 3 Beyers: 91-86-85)
◗ Although effective from six furlongs to a mile, he is probably best at seven-eighths, having won four times and hit the board in 10 of 12 tries at the distance.
◗ Edgard Zayas picks up the mount on Grande Shores while swapping spots with Castro, who replaces him aboard Ledokol.
Falling Sky (Last 3 Beyers: 83-95-73)
◗ Picks up six pounds off his victory in the Trinniberg, carrying the co-high weight of 123 pounds along with Valid and Grande Shores.
Valid (Last 3 Beyers: 100-100-103)
◗ Although he has won at seven furlongs, he’s best at a mile or longer, his most recent win in the Iselin coming at 1 1/8 miles.