Gulfstream Park: Coarsegold meets Meri Shika in Thursday allowance

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Gulfstream Park’s racing secretary, P.J. Campo, saved the best for last Thursday, carding the afternoon’s $51,750 allowance feature as the finale on the 10-race card. Thursday’s main event will be decided at 7 1/2 furlongs on turf and lured nine fillies and mares, led by Coarsegold and Meri Shika.

Coarsegold captured an overnight stakes via disqualification here one year ago. The daughter of Giant’s Causeway has gone winless ever since, although she placed in three stakes during that span, including a third-place finish in the Voodoo Dancer here on New Year’s Day, beaten less than a length by Tapicat. Coarsegold returned to allowance company in her most recent start, finishing third as the 2-1 favorite with a belated rally.

Trained by Mark Hennig for owner and breeder Walter Burris, the stretch-running Coarsegold should have plenty of pace to run at Thursday.

Meri Shika gets some class relief after opening her North American career by finishing last in the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes at Woodbine last summer. Group 3-placed in her native France at age 2 in 2012, Meri Shika will try to snap a 10-race losing streak that dates back to August 2012.

Blues and Silvers returns to one of her favorite turf courses after being haltered for $62,500 out of a fourth-place finish at Santa Anita on Jan. 3. She ran four times here last winter, getting three wins, with those victories coming for claiming tags ranging from $15,000 to $25,000.

[Clocker Reports: Get Mike Welsch’s clocker reports from Gulfstream Park and Palm Meadows]

Completing the lineup are Kipling’s Joy, a winner at this distance against weaker competition Jan. 25, pace factor English Class, the consistent Free as a Bird, the speedy Will to Shine, Perfect Package, and Jane of All Trades.