Howgreatisnate looks to get back on track in Gulfstream allowance
?q=100)
Howgreatisnate will try to get rolling again when he runs in an open allowance race with a $100,000 claiming option Thursday at Gulfstream Park. The one-mile race for 3-year-olds on the main track goes as race 7 on an eight-race card that begins at 12:50 p.m. Eastern. It is part of the Rainbow 6, which has a guaranteed pool of $475,000.
Trained by Andrew Simoff, Howgreatisnate went undefeated in four starts as a 2-year-old, which included victories in the restricted $100,000 First Dash on Sept. 29 at Delaware and the $75,000 Future Stars on Dec. 5 at Parx Racing.
A Kentucky-bred son of Speightster, Howgreatisnate literally got off to a poor start as a sophomore as he stumbled badly leaving the gate and lost jockey J.D. Acosta in the Grade 3 Gotham on March 4 at Aqueduct. He returned two weeks later at Laurel, where he steadied going into the first turn and after moving into contention faded to finish fourth in the 1 1/16-mile race.
All things considered, it was a decent effort, and Howgreatisnate has been working nicely for his new trainer, Elizabeth Dobles.
He drew post 5 in the six-horse field and could get a nice trip from a stalking position with Edwin Gonzalez up. He has never won a race longer than six furlongs, so there could be distance limitations.
Cuvier looked good winning his debut going six furlongs in a maiden race at Gulfstream for trainer Todd Pletcher on Jan. 14 and then chased an honest pace before finishing a distant third in his second start, a first-level allowance race at Tampa Bay. The winner, Kingsbarns, came back to win the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby and then was fried after dueling through unsustainable fractions in the Kentucky Derby.
A Kentucky-bred son of Collected, Cuvier has not raced since and returns as a gelding. With his good speed, he could be the one they have to run down if he breaks alertly from post 3 with Paco Lopez up.
Big Data took a huge step forward with a blowout win in a maiden race for trainer Michael Lerman on April 22.
With Chantal Sutherland aboard, the Kentucky-bred son of Cloud Computing sat well off an honest pace set by Jonas’ Dream in the one-mile race and without much urging moved into serious contention heading into the turn. The outcome was obvious once Sutherland straightened him out turning for home, and he drew off to win by a convincing four lengths.
It’s Big Data’s first start since Jan. 14, so he has a right to move forward, and with just four starts, he could have plenty of upside. He will break from post 4 with Sutherland retaining the mount.
Centrodelantero is the wild card as he makes his first start in North America off a strong set of works for leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
The Kentucky-bred son of Carpe Diem has a 2-1-0 record from four starts in Peru and is coming off a win in an allowance race with a $2,000 purse at Hipodromo de Monterrico in Lima on Nov. 13.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.