Harbour Master brings rising Beyers to turf feature

Harbour Master looks like the one to beat in a second-level allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option that will serve as the feature race Thursday at Gulfstream Park. It goes as race 9 and will be part of the Rainbow 6, which has a $963,685 carryover. The sequence begins on the fifth race.

The one-mile feature drew seven horses for turf, with three entered as main track only. Squeezadios and I’m a G Six will vie for favoritism if the race is contested over dirt.

Trained by Patrick Biancone, Harbour Master is coming off a strong effort in the $60,000 Mecke Stakes on July 25. With Luca Panici aboard, he broke slowly, and after trailing by 13 lengths at the first call, he finished with rush to get up for second in the one-mile race contested over turf rated good.

In his previous start, he did everything right in winning going 7 1/2 furlongs at the same level as Thursday’s race.

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A 6-year-old horse by Harbour Watch, he began his career in England, where he won twice before coming to the United States. He initially raced in Southern California for trainer James Cassidy and finished third in a first-level allowance race with a $25,000 claiming option on May 9 in his first start at Gulfstream and first for Biancone. He received an 84 Beyer Speed Figure and improved his figures in each of his next three races, culminating with a 92 in his latest.

He does his best running late, and Panici will need to keep him in touch early in a race that may not unfold at a brisk clip.

He will break from post 6.

Fly to Mars is the big question mark in the race.

The 6-year-old was on a roll in Southern California in 2018, but he has not raced since he finished second for trainer Peter Miller in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile in October 2018 at Santa Anita. He forced an honest pace before losing the one-mile race on turf by a nose to Sharp Samurai. The 104 Beyer Speed Figure he received stands out, and if he shows up with his best stuff, they won’t beat him.

That is a big if, however.

Fly to Mars will be making his first start for trainer Mark Casse, who the past five years has an 18-percent strike rate with horses coming back from a layoff of a year or more. The veteran trainer is just 1 for 24 if they were running in turf races that were a mile or longer.

Fly to Mars drew post 2 and will be ridden by Victor Lebron.

Tizzarunner, fourth to Sailing Solo in a $100,000 optional-claiming race June 26, could win this if he runs as well as he did in his victory in a $50,000 starter race on April 23. Ridden by Panici for trainer Carlos David, he came from a stalking position to win the one-mile race on turf in a quick 1:32.36.

Samy Camacho will be aboard when he leaves from post 4.