HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A field full of 3-year-olds on the improve and a second race with 3-year-olds taking on older rivals for the first time should give handicappers plenty to ponder on Friday’s eight-race program at Gulfstream Park. The main event is restricted to 3-year-olds going a mile on the turf under allowance and optional-claiming conditions for a $61,000 purse. The race attracted seven up-and-comers, including Prevent and Ninja Star, who finished second and third, respectively, in the Sophomore Turf at Tampa Bay Downs less than three weeks earlier; Rapture Boy, who is coming off a promising sixth-place finish against a pretty loaded field in the Colonel Liam Stakes; and Cody’s Wish’s younger brother Hunt Ball, who will be trying turf for the first time. Prevent set the pace in the Sophomore Turf before succumbing grudgingly in the final furlong to Crystal Quest, dropping a three-quarter-length decision to the even-money favorite who registered his third straight victory. Prevent was able to outlast Ninja Star for second money, the latter looming a major threat turning for home before hanging some during the late stages. Rapture Bay was beaten just four lengths in the one-mile Colonel Liam, a race won by Abrumar, who posted a career-best 82 Beyer Speed Figure while winning for the third straight time. The event was flattered when runner-up Cugino returned last weekend to finish second in Keeneland’s Transylvania Stakes with an 85 Beyer Figure. In his previous start, Rapture Bay ran down loose-on-the-lead Themanupfront, who came back to beat similar maiden opposition in gate-to-wire fashion with an 81 Beyer in his next start. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports Hunt Ball, who began his career with a couple of promising second-place finishes on dirt, stretched out around two turns and switched to Tapeta for the first time to earn his diploma by 1 1/2 lengths here last month for trainer Bill Mott. Although he’s also a half to the multiple graded stakes winner Endorsed, as well as the 2023 Horse of the Year, there are no turf-winning siblings in Hunt Ball’s classy family. One race earlier, the speedy 3-year-old Trumpets will try to keep pace with the equally fleet older rival Face the Music and seven Florida-bred fillies in the afternoon’s co-featured sixth event, which will be decided under first-level allowance conditions at five furlongs on the turf. Trumpets owns the highest Beyer number in the field, an 82 she received for her impressive 5 3/4-length maiden win two months earlier. Owned and trained by Joe Catanese, Trumpets has led at every point of call in both of her starts but could face a pretty stiff test for the lead going up against Face the Music, who has rarely been headed during the early stages of any of her 10 lifetime starts, two of which resulted in victories. Both of those wins came over the Tapeta strip. A potential speed duel could play in favor of the 4-year-old Clay Soldier, who is exiting a much-improved third-place finish behind hard-knocking older foes Fortuna Belle and Gitana going 5 1/2 furlong here less than three weeks earlier. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.