Indian Splendor gets class relief in featured optional claimer

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Anyone who subscribes to the theory that you can tell a horse by the company she keeps will be all in on Indian Splendor in Monday’s $44,000 main event at Gulfstream Park, an optional-claiming dash scheduled for five furlongs on the turf. The race highlights a special 11-race holiday card that begins at 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

There will be no live racing here Tuesday or Wednesday.

Indian Splendor drops into a considerably softer spot after closing out her 2015 campaign by finishing fifth despite stumbling briefly at the start of the Turf Amazon Handicap on Sept. 7 at Parx. Among the horses finishing in front of Indian Splendor in the five-furlong Turf Amazon were the victorious Richies Sweetheart, the recent winner of the Lightning City Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, and runner-up Joya Real, a two-time stakes winner who captured an allowance early in the Tampa meet.

Among those who finished behind Indian Splendor in the Turf Amazon was Jewel of a Cat, who subsequently shipped to south Florida to win a pair of stakes, including against the boys at Gulfstream Park West in the Sunshine Millions Turf Sprint Preview.

Skeptics, however, will question why Indian Splendor has not started since the Turf Amazon or why trainer Jason Servis will dangle her for a $25,000 claiming tag in her 2016 debut. Indian Splendor also must break from the extreme outside in post 12 in a full field of filly and mare sprinters. She is no stranger to the local course, having finished second under tougher optional-claiming conditions here last winter.

Indian Splendor is one of four multiple winners in the lineup competing for the $25,000 claiming price under the conditions of the race, along with Erma Lee, Sunset Silhouette, and Black Heir.

Erma Lee has won more races (seven) than anyone else in the lineup. The 8-year-old mare also is the oldest member of the field and ships down from Toronto in search of her first victory since defeating open $20,000 claimers April 25 at Woodbine.

Sunset Silhouette would benefit should the race be switched from turf to the main track as she has started just once on grass in a 27-race career. She will get significant class relief by dropping into this spot off a series of tougher races against higher-level optional-claiming and stakes opposition over the past two seasons.

Key contenders

Indian Splendor (Last 3 Beyers: 86-90-87)

* Servis owns a respectable 24 percent success rate bringing horses back from layoffs of between 60 and 180 days, with a $2.36 ROI over the past three years, according to DRF Formulator.

Sunset Silhouette (Last 3 Beyers: 67-66-70)

* Her only try on grass was a disaster, a distant 12th-place finish as a 65-1 outsider under similar optional-claiming conditions Dec. 12, 2014.

Erma Lee (Last 3 Beyers: 64-74-75)

* This will be her 50th start, only nine of which have come on grass, and none of those at five furlongs.