Hess sends two in Friday allowance

MIAMI – Trainer Bob Hess Jr. will combine both quantity and quality when he sends out Cause for Pardon and Face of Victory against six rivals in Friday’s $45,000 main event at Gulfstream Park West. The one-mile turf test is for 3-year-olds and up.

Hess, who’ll have a major presence at the upcoming Gulfstream Park Championship meeting, claimed Cause for Pardon for $35,000 in the interests of owner Ron Paolucci out of a third-place finish on Oct. 2. The 4-year-old son of Creative Cause returned quick dividends four weeks later, rallying to a 1 1/4-length victory against optional starter-allowance company. The win was only the second in 28 lifetime starts for Cause for Pardon.

“I have to give Ron the credit,” said Hess. “He picked him out and his assessment was correct. He’s eligible for starter races and should be a very useful horse here this winter. This race is obviously a jump up in class, but he’s continued to do well and I expect him to run huge.”

Face of Victory has lost six consecutive starts since also defeating optional starter competition at Gulfstream Park eight months ago. Hess said Face of Victory is a better horse than his recent form might indicate.

“I hate to make excuses, but he’s been a hard-luck horse over his past several starts for various reasons,” said Hess, who took the blinkers off Face of Victory in his last race. “I’m putting the blinkers back on him on Friday and I think he’s going to run a bang-up race. My only concern is the turf course over there. He likes a very firm course, so I’m hoping he handles it okay.”

Hess acknowledged he’s not crazy about the idea of running two horses for different owners in the same race. Face of Victory is owned by Paradise Farms Corporation.

“I hate to run them against each other, but I spoke to both owners and they were okay with it,” said Hess. “And fortunately their running styles are totally different so they should complement one another just fine.”

Notorious Nick has been in peak form and will step up into open company after defeating Florida-bred allowance rivals by two lengths making his Gulfstream Park West debut on Oct. 18. He figures among the many leading candidates, along with The Mighty Judge, Glory of Florida, and Navy Armed Guard.

Hess to have full stable

Hess will have 30 horses stabled at Gulfstream Park for the Championship meeting, matching the total he’ll keep in Southern California during the winter.

“I’m excited to be back here again with a full stable,” said Hess. “I’ve had around 30 in Southern California for the last 15 or 20 years, so that number won’t change. But the East Coast string has been growing for me, so I’m hoping to ride that wave here in 2020.”

Among the horses Hess will have based locally for the next several months is graded stakes winner Heavenhasmynikki, who exits a ninth-place finish after contesting the early running of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Heavenhasmynikki won the Grade 3 Vagrancy at Belmont Park earlier this season.

“She came out of the Filly and Mare Sprint with a bad case of the thumps,” said Hess, referring to an electrolyte balance that causes spasms of the diaphragm. “So I’m throwing that race out.”

Hess said Heavenhasmynikki will return in one of three races at Gulfstream on Dec. 14: the six-furlong Sugar Swirl, one-mile Rampart, or the My Charmer at a mile on the turf.

◗ Graceful Kitten, who set the pace for nearly seven furlongs before ducking in, striking the inner rail, and finishing 13th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, worked five furlongs in 1:03.70 under regular rider Hector Berrios over the Gulfstream Park main track on Wednesday. Graceful Kitten, who galloped out six furlongs in 1:16.71, is being pointed to the $75,000 Pulpit at a mile on the turf on Nov. 30, opening day of the 2019-20 Championship meet.