Hihellohowareyou well spotted to break losing streak

Trainer Jose Francisco D’Angelo scratched Hihellohowareyou out of Saturday’s $50,000 Manatee at Tampa Bay Downs for a seemingly easier and definitely more lucrative spot Thursday in a $91,000 allowance race going 6 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream Park.

Hihellohowareyou will try to snap a nine-race losing streak dating back to last May when she faces seven others in a second-level allowance for fillies and mares that serves as the feature on the nine-race card.

Hihellohowareyou has made her last three starts at Tampa, finishing sixth in a restricted stakes and third and second in allowance races. Last Saturday’s Manatee featured some talented horses, including Sterling Silver, a multiple graded stakes winner who got up in the final strides to win the race.

“My real plan was to go to the allowance,” D’Angelo said. “She’s a good horse, she’s improving the way I want. The distance is perfect, she likes Gulfstream too. She’s doing so good, I’m pretty sure it’s the right race for her now. The stake was tougher, she needs to get some confidence again.”

Hihellohowareyou won her career debut in December 2022 going 6 1/2 furlongs on dirt at Gulfstream but has only gone 1 for 12 since.

D’Angelo was pleased enough with the runner-up finish last out, but noted that jockey Javier Castellano rallied her along the inside.

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

“Tampa is a track where it helps to go a little wide,” D’Angelo said.

Junior Alvarado rides Hihellohowareyou from post 6.

Olga, from the barn of Juan Alvarado, could be the main threat to Hihellohowareyou. Olga is coming out of a solid second-place finish behind American Rockette in an allowance on Feb. 11 at Gulfstream. Three starts back, Olga won a Florida-bred allowance for her third career win from 20 starts.

Jose Ortiz rides from post 4 on Thursday.

There does look to be ample speed in this field with American of Course, trained by Kathleen O’Connell, drawn on the rail and Marthamaywhovier in post 2. Marthamaywhovier is in for the optional $25,000 claiming price.

Cousin Kristi is going turf to dirt and dropping in for the $25,000 tag for Cam Gambolati. Cousin Kristi ran twice on dirt last fall in New York-bred company for trainer H. James Bond. She was purchased at Keeneland January for $30,000 by her new owners.

Sophia’s Storm goes second off a layoff for trainer Ruben Sierra, who is only 1 for 31 at the meet. Sophia’s Storm did finish a pace-prompting second facing cheaper Feb. 25.

Founder’s Day makes her first start off a $16,000 claim for trainer Herman Wilensky. She has made her last two starts on turf and synthetic and now returns to dirt, a surface on which she has won three of her last four starts.

Gunesh, trained by Murat Sancal, makes just her second career start on dirt. She will have blinkers off for this race while getting the services of Paco Lopez.

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