Gulfstream Park: Palm Island brings big potential to Sunday allowance

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Joe Orseno picked a few plums out of last year’s dispersal sale for the horses who participated in Frank Stronach’s innovative but short-lived Horse Racing League, including recent allowance winner Oasis at Midnight. On Sunday, Orseno will unveil perhaps the best of his acquisitions from that sale, the lightly raced Palm Island, who’ll face a strong group of first-level optional-claiming rivals, including the Grade 2-placed Morgan’s Guerrilla and impressive maiden winner Accelerare. The seven-furlong race is race 7 on the card.

Palm Island, racing for the Ginger Punch team in the Horse Racing League and trained by David Hofmans, turned in one of the top efforts by a 3-year-old maiden in 2013 when earning a 97 Beyer Speed Figure for his nose victory over Proven Warrior going 6 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park on June 8. The son of E Dubai, an $80,000 yearling purchase, has not raced since.

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“I knew the history of this horse going into the dispersal sale,” said Orseno. “He got sick after his last start and was sent to the farm. It was typical of Mr. Stronach’s horses, who are given every care and consideration and not put through the mill like others might be. That’s why I was attracted to this sale in the first place, I knew most of the horses had been lightly raced at 3 and were ready to have a good future this year at 4.”

Palm Island has trained extremely well for his return, capping off a good series of works with a very impressive five-furlong breeze in company from the gate on March 8.

“We took our time with him when we first got him, we started back real slow, and his last couple of works have been pretty phenomenal,” said Orseno. “I’m not sure about bringing him back off the layoff at seven furlongs, but he is a big, stretching kind of horse who looks like he’ll want to go further in the long run.”

Morgan’s Guerrilla, 5, has started just twice since finishing third after contesting the pace in the Grade 2 Dwyer during the summer of 2012, and once since his fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby during the fall of that year. Trained by Mike Maker, Morgan’s Guerrilla will shorten up to seven furlongs after finishing a tiring third behind Normandy Invasion’s track-record performance in a one-mile optional-claiming race here on Feb. 22.

Accelerare, like Palm Island, comes off an impressive maiden tally, stalking and wearing down the highly regarded first-time starter Takeittothestreets going six furlongs here last month. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Accelerare posted an 87 Beyer Figure while making his first start in eight months.

Little Distorted has failed to live up to expectations after launching his career by cruising to an easy win over the odds-on Revolutionary at Belmont Park in October 2012. Purchased privately by Silverton Hill LLC shortly after the race, Little Distorted has gone winless in three subsequent starts while moving from barn to barn. Idle since finishing mid-pack in the 2013 Swale for trainer Marty Wolfson, Little Distorted will be saddled by Bill Mott for the first time on Sunday.

Happy My Way to Sir Shackleton

Orseno also reports that his red-hot Happy My Way, who has sandwiched two allowance wins around a second-place finish behind Ribo Bobo in the Sunshine Millions Sprint, continues to do well and will be pointed for the $100,000 Sir Shackleton Stakes on March 29.

“He’s well rested coming off those three big races and doing great,” said Orseno. “We’ll probably see Ribo Bobo again in the Sir Shackleton. Sooner or later, hopefully we’ll be able to beat him.”