Heals the Soul faces sharp opposition in Florida-bred dash

Heals the Soul is the 9-5 morning-line favorite in Thursday’s seventh race at Gulfstream Park, a first-level allowance restricted to Florida-breds at five furlongs on the Tapeta surface.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise as Heals the Soul, a 6-year-old son of Maclean’s Music, started as the chalk in his last five starts and compiled three wins, a second, and a third during that span. He is a nine-time winner facing six foes that have combined for 11 victories and has the tactical speed to adapt to any pace scenario.

Despite his obvious merits, the Georgina Baxter-trained Heals the Soul enters the race following two defeats and is winless from seven prior tries at this class level. He also faces sharp opposition.

Commandant and Jet Wings continue their budding rivalry. Commandant bested Jet Wings in an open $12,000 starter allowance on Feb. 24 at Gulfstream in Commandant’s first start off the Rohan Crichton claim.

A 4-year-old colt by Girvin, Commandant returned four weeks later to finish third, three-quarters of a length behind runner-up Jet Wings traveling 5 1/2 furlongs on the Tapeta. He is a late-runner that might need some hitting up front to adequately set up his kick, and Jet Wings should provide some of that much needed pace help.

Jet Wings returned from a summer layoff to hit the board in all four starts over the winter at Gulfstream. In his most recent race, he engaged in an early battle with eventual last-place finisher Fast Fixer, shrugged that foe off, then held on for second, a neck behind the winner.

He faces a potentially strong early challenge once again, this time provided by rail-drawn Esperon, who has raced in front at the pace call in all eight of his starts. Stakes-placed over this course and distance last year, Esperon was beaten at odds-on when dropped to this level last month.

Fellow 3-year-old Zio Lorenzo has upside after only four starts and the positional speed to sit just off the leaders. Never off the board in three sprints, he finished ahead of Esperon last time when third to Lighting Clouds, who subsequently ran third in the off-turf Texas Glitter here March 23.

:: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports

Valiant Exchange won his debut sprinting on turf at Tampa Bay, then was likely overmatched against open first-level allowance foes on dirt.

Galipan showed speed before faltering to fourth in his first try against winners, a $16,000 starter allowance on March 23.

◗ Trainer Chad Brown breezed several stakes horses over the weekend in preparation for upcoming seasonal debuts. Notably, multiple Grade 1 winner Program Trading blitzed a bullet five-eighths in 1:00.20 on the Payson turf Saturday, while Grade 1 winner Blazing Sevens, last year’s Preakness runner-up, went a half-mile in 49.60 seconds that morning on dirt.

◗ War Like Goddess, winner of the last two editions of the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, worked a half-mile in 50 seconds on Saturday at Payson for trainer Bill Mott. The 7-year-old mare has captured 11 of 18 starts for lifetime earnings of $2,535,184.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.