Joseph has top two in Mr. Steele Stakes
?q=100)
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will hold the upper hand – which is so often the case around these parts during the spring-summer meet – when sending out the veteran Max K. O. and his younger stablemate Saratoga Flash as the horses to beat in Sunday’s $75,000 Mr. Steele Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
A field of eight older turf specialists will go 1 1/16 miles in the Mr. Steele, the seventh of nine events on a card that also includes a pair of allowance races, the first for Florida-bred fillies and mares on the dirt, the second for 3-year-olds and up going five furlongs on turf.
The 7-year-old Max K. O. has shown improvement in his last two starts that include a dead heat for first in an open $50,000 claimer on Feb. 26 and a fourth-place finish when beaten just a half-length against high-priced optional-claiming and allowance company in his most recent try. Joseph credits the improvement to a little change in style for the old pro, who finished second in the 2021 renewal of the Mr. Steele when making first start after being haltered by his present connections for $25,000.
“We started trying to get him covered up during the early stages of his races a couple of starts back and he’s been much better, finishing a lot stronger,” Joseph said.
Saratoga Flash is in top form, having won two of his three starts dating back to his 2022 finale in late December. His lone setback during that span came in his most recent outing when outgamed and beaten a nose by pacesetting Get Smokin after a furious battle from the eighth pole to the wire. Saratoga Flash earned a career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure.
“Saratoga Flash is just a hard-trying horse who is in top form at the moment, and if he runs similar to any of his last several races should have a big shot, even moving up against stakes company on Sunday,” Joseph said.
Both Max K. O. and Saratoga Flash will need some pace help to win the Mr. Steele, and they should get it with Grand David, Fredo, and Value Proposition in the lineup.
Grand David contested a relatively lively pace before fading badly when making his 2023 debut under allowance conditions over the Tapeta course during the Championship meet. The Mr. Steele will be his first start on turf since finishing eighth after racing forwardly for more than six furlongs in the Grade 3 Virginia Derby late last summer at Colonial Downs.
Fredo set the pace in each of his last two starts around two turns, winning his maiden in gate-to-wire fashion before finishing a tiring third under modest allowance conditions just three weeks ago.
Value Proposition, who joins Max K. O. as the elder statesmen in the lineup at the age of 7, wheels back quickly. He tired badly after contesting a hot pace against strong allowance opposition over this course April 29.
Me and Mr. C returns to open stakes company after being stakes-placed against statebreds in each of his last two starts. He finished third in the Sunshine Turf to open his 2023 campaign before shipping to Tampa Bay Downs to be second-best as the even-money favorite in the Turf Classic 11 weeks later.
Hot Blooded, a statebred stakes winner here last year but off his best form of late, and Candy Tycoon complete the lineup.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.