Gulfstream Park: Condition of turf will determine cast for Fort Lauderdale

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Ten horses were entered for Saturday’s $200,000 Fort Lauderdale Stakes, but how many actually start will depend upon the weather and the condition of the turf course at Gulfstream Park, which was inundated by rain earlier in the week.

Two of the entrants, Csaba and Suns Out Guns Out, were entered for main track only and would start only if the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale is moved to the main track. Trainer David Kassen, who cross-entered Grade 2 winner Nikki’s Sandcastle in Saturday’s Grade 3 Hal’s Hope on the main track, said his horse definitely would not run in the Fort Lauderdale if the turf came up soft.

Summer Front will carry high weight of 121 pounds and be favored to win the Fort Lauderdale if he starts. He won a pair of Grade 3 races last year and is coming off a heartbreaking nose setback in Hollywood Park’s Grade 2 Citation to conclude his very productive 2013 campaign. Trainer Christophe Clement said he would monitor the condition of the turf closely before making a decision Saturday.

The remainder of the field consists of defending champion Mucho Mas Macho, Tetradrachm, Howe Great, Hierro, Slumber, and Utley.[bc_video_id:313835:]

Summer Front won Calder’s Grade 3 Miami Mile and Monmouth Park’s Grade 3 Cliff Hanger in 2013 and appeared to have the Citation won in deep stretch, only to have Silentio, the third-place finisher in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, get his nose down just in front on the wire.

“His last race was very good,” said Clement, who trains Summer Front for Waterford Stable. “It looked like he was a winner, but he got beat. He’s a very versatile kind of horse, so I’m not really worried that there’s not a lot of pace in this field. He’s doing great, and as of now, he’s running on Saturday, but I’ll confer with the owner in the morning, and if I’m not happy with the condition of the course, he will not start.”

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Nikki’s Sandcastle has won three races over the local course, is coming off a victory on Polytrack in Keeneland’s Grade 2 Fayette, but has fared poorly in two previous tries on softer grass.

“He ran on soft turf twice and hurt himself twice,” Kassen said. “I’ll run him in this race if it comes off the grass.”

Mucho Mas Macho has not won since rallying from far back for a shocking neck victory at odds of 41-1 in the 2013 Fort Lauderdale for trainer Henry Collazo, who scratched his graded stakes winner when Calder’s Grade 2 W.L. McKnight was taken off the grass two weeks ago.

Howe Great was Grade 3-placed on four consecutive occasions last season. He finished third, beaten 1 3/4 lengths by Summer Front, in the Cliff Hanger.

Slumber gets some class relief after taking on Grade 1 competition in his last two starts, with both races, Belmont’s Turf Classic and Woodbine’s Canadian International, decided at 1 1/2 miles. He is one of two horses in the field trained by Bill Mott, along with the improving Tetradrachm, who might have the best speed while breaking from the rail. Tetradrachm is coming off a second-place finish behind Clement’s Speaking of Which in Calder’s Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap.