Gulfstream Park: Strong field for Sunday turf allowance

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The turf course at Gulfstream Park will get a little breather after this weekend, with no grass races to be carded until Nov. 2. But the final race to be run over the grass for the next couple of weeks figures to be a good one, an open allowance event at 1 1/16 miles that drew a field of 10, including graded-stakes-caliber horses Cash Rules, Mucho Mas Macho, and Salto.

Cash Rules will be making his first start since finishing eighth in the Grade 3 Canadian Turf here Feb. 23. And while trainer David Fawkes acknowledges that grass is not Cash Rules’s most effective surface, he said he handles it well enough to turn in a good effort Sunday, even off the bench.

“He’s definitely better on dirt than grass, but there were really no other spots at the moment and he needs to run,” Fawkes said. “I’m using this race as a prep for the Florida-bred stakes next month, which serves as a prep for our next major goal, the Sunshine Millions Classic in January.”

Cash Rules, a 6-year-old son of Peace Rules, won three stakes on dirt in 2012 before finishing a distant second behind Ron the Greek in the 2013 Sunshine Classic. Cash Rules has started just twice on grass, finishing third under allowance conditions in his only other turf outing aside from the Canadian.

“He really wasn’t doing that well when we ran him in the Canadian, after which we gave him some time off,” Fawkes said. “The first time he tried grass, he was doing well and got beat only a length. This is tough spot for a turf race down here in October, but he’s training well and I expect him to run well.”

Salto, like Cash Rules, has not started since February, when he finished fourth behind Point of Entry and Animal Kingdom after setting the early pace in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap. A graded-stakes-placed Irish-bred, Salto has been preparing for his return since mid-September at Palm Meadows in Boynton Beach. His trainer, Todd Pletcher, has been gradually building up his south Florida-based arsenal there.

Trainer Henry Collazo said there is a good chance Mucho Mas Macho may not run Sunday.

“He lost a shoe during a workout here last Sunday, and I didn’t like the way his foot looked when he came back,” Collazo said. “My vet said to go ahead and enter him, but chances are I’m going to err on the side of caution and wait for another day. Although with no grass racing here for a while, there isn’t much for him around here right now.”

Mucho Mas Macho remains winless since upsetting the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale here in his 2013 debut. He is coming off his best performance since that victory, rallying from last to finish third, beaten less than a length, in the 12-furlong Laurel Turf Cup three weeks ago.

Wildcat Red in second start

Sunday’s Gulfstream Park card also will feature the second start for the exciting 2-year-old prospect Wildcat Red, who drew off to an eight-length victory over nine overmatched maiden special weight rivals Sept. 14. Wildcat Red, a son of D’wildcat, earned an 88 Beyer Speed Figure.

Trained by Jose Garofalo, Wildcat Red will go six furlongs against nine rivals, including three other unbeaten juveniles led by the Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained duo of Tell Me a Joke and Chief Power.

More traveling for Collmus

Gulfstream track announcer Larry Collmus was back in the booth this weekend after spending the summer at Monmouth Park. Collmus will call the West Virginia Breeders Classics next Saturday at Charles Town before heading to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita. He will return to Gulfstream on a regular basis beginning Nov. 9.

Pete Aiello has filled in for Collmus this summer.