Heir Ball finds softer spot in turf-sprint allowance

In her previous three starts, Heir Ball has been beaten by the likes of Miss Auramet, Catharsis, and Blue Magic, a trio that has combined to win 7 of 11 starts in 2020.

Contrast that with the field Heir Ball meets on Friday at Gulfstream Park – where her nine expected rivals have combined to win 12 races in their careers – and it looks like Heir Ball has landed in a pretty sweet spot for trainer Larry Rivelli. The five-furlong turf allowance restricted to Florida-breds is the 10th and featured event on an 11-race Gulfstream card that begins shortly after 12:45 p.m. Eastern.

“If she runs her last race or two [back] she should win and knock out that condition,” Rivelli said this week from his current base at the Palm Meadows training center in Florida.

Rivelli claimed Heir Ball for $10,000 out of a winning effort at Hawthorne in October 2018. Rivelli discovered a chip in the then-4-year-old filly’s knee and had it surgically removed.

Heir Ball didn’t race at all in 2019. On Jan. 5, Heir Ball came off a 14 1/2-month layoff to win an open $16,000 claimer going five furlongs on turf at Gulfstream.

Following that victory, Heir Ball twice ran in Florida-bred allowances. On Jan. 31, she was beaten three lengths by Miss Auramet, who has since come back to win two open-company races with her two career-best Beyers Speed Figures.

On Feb. 21, Heir Ball missed the break and rallied wide to just miss second, while finishing 1 1/4 lengths behind Catharsis, who last Saturday came back to win an open allowance with a career-best 83 Beyer.

‘She’s usually on the lead or right there second,” Rivelli said. “She jumped a little bit, but I thought the jock rode her good. Most of my horses don’t miss the break, but she did that day.”

In her most recent start, an open $16,000 claimer, Heir Ball finished second, three-quarters of a length behind Blue Magic, who was dropping from a $35,000 claimer.

Victor LeBron rides Heir Ball for the fifth straight time.

Song River, trained by Mark Casse for John Oxley, blew a six-length lead in midstretch when running in a similar spot as this on March 11. That was her first start off a four-month freshening. She has some back class in that she did finish third in a pair of turf stakes.

All About Stella is only 1 for 14, but has a closing style that could make her at least an exotic threat in this spot. She makes her first start since last September and first for trainer Ralph Nicks.

Prospective Diva has twice finished second in this condition, the last time on dirt.