Hot speedster vs. past glory

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The classic handicapping question of current form vs. old class will come into play in Wednesday's $48,000 feature at Gulfstream Park when the up-and-coming Americanrevolution takes on stakes veterans Greeley's Legacy, King of Jazz, and Great Point going one mile under second-level allowance conditions.

Americanrevolution has won both his starts since moving into trainer Bill White's barn earlier this year, leading throughout to beat both maiden and entry-level allowance rivals over wet tracks at Calder. A 4-year-old son of Maria's Mon, Americanrevolution earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure for his most recent victory and figures to be the one to catch stretching out to a mile on Wednesday.

Greeley's Legacy, fourth in both the Grade 2 Lexington and Grade 3 Gotham Stakes during the early months of his 3-year-old campaign last year, makes his first start since finishing fifth in the Preakness.

"We gave him a nuclear scan after the Preakness, and while he had no specific fractures he did light up in a few places and needed some time," said trainer George Weaver. "And the time has done him well. He's training like a good horse, and I must admit I have some high ambitions for him this year.

"I'm not sure if he's done enough to run his best race on Wednesday, but I think he's done enough to run very well, and I don't think a one-turn mile should be a problem for him."

King of Jazz has run just twice since his second-place finish in the 2005 Queen's Plate and only once since finishing far back later that summer in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy. That outing came at Aqueduct on Nov. 26 and resulted in a fifth-place finish in a strong field of second-level allowance optional-claiming horses.

Great Point has never regained the form he had when he finished second despite a rough trip here a year ago in the Grade 3 Holy Bull. In four subsequent starts, Great Point has yet to finish better than fifth or closer than eight lengths to the winner. He was beaten nearly 24 lengths following a poor start as the 9-5 favorite at Calder in his 2006 finale.

Grandstanding showed promise during the opening half of 2006 but will be making his first start since finishing a badly beaten fifth at Monmouth Park on July 3. He returns off a bullet 59-second five-furlong work here on Jan. 4 for trainer Cam Gambolati.