Gulfstream Park: Jamaican Smoke faces softer company in Friday's feature

The Grade 1-placed Jamaican Smoke will try to regain her confidence when returning to the allowance ranks in Friday’s $51,750 feature at Gulfstsream Park, carded at 6 1/2 furlongs for older fillies and mares. The race is open to second-level allowance horses and $62,500 claimers.

Jamaican Smoke, who finished third last spring in Keeneland’s Grade 1 Madison, is winless in six starts since May 2012. Two of those losses came against Grade 1 company, and her most recent was a fourth-place finish behind two-time Eclipse Award winner Groupie Doll in the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie here Feb. 9.

Jamaican Smoke will attempt to show her heels Friday to seven rivals: the graded stakes-placed pair of Lucky Rag Doll and Salamera, the lightly raced and once highly regarded Calistoga, Danalake, Sky Skier, Elusive Fate, and Lil Red Cozette.

◗ Elena Strikes, who finished third in the Grade 3 Schuylerville at 2, launched her 3-year-old season with a convincing optional-claiming win here Wednesday. Elena Strikes, a homebred daughter of Smart Strike, is trained by Todd Pletcher for Stonestreet Stables.