King Humor brings 96 debut Beyer to allowance sprint

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Two months after turning in a sensational career debut, King Humor finally returns as the prohibitive favorite against five rivals under optional-claiming and allowance conditions in the fourth race on the Easter Sunday program at Gulfstream.

The 12-race card ends the 2017-18 Gulfstream Park championship meeting.

King Humor led throughout and drew away to an easy four-length victory over Belle Tapisserie when launching his career going 5 1/2 furlongs Feb. 2. The son of Distorted Humor completed the distance in 1:03.08 and received a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

Owned by Heczor Investments Corporation and trained by Victor Barboza Jr., King Humor came back two weeks later to work five furlongs in 58.80 before settling into a more subdued breeze schedule that included two 1:05 and change five-eighths clockings in March.

“He’s still very immature, so we wanted to give him some time after the first race, and especially after he came right back and worked so fast, 58 seconds for five furlongs, two weeks later,” said Barboza, who has won 15 races during the championship meet. “The last breezes have been slower. Hopefully we can get an easy prep race into him as well on Sunday, because we are pointing for the stakes with him here later this month.”

Barboza was referring to the $75,000 Roar Stakes at seven furlongs April 21.

Jockey Edgar Perez gets the return call on King Humor. Barboza also entered Flying Liberty in the race.

King Humor isn’t the only member of the field who brings an unblemished record. Show Me the Bucks rallied to a head decision at odds of 16-1 kicking off his career at 6 1/2 furlongs on March 4. Trained by Bill Mott, the Canadian-bred son of Tiz Wonderful received a 72 Beyer Figure. He will have Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard on Sunday.

King Humor could get tested early by the speedy Reed Kan, who returns to the main track after finishing eighth in the Texas Glitter Stakes on turf Feb. 24. Trainer Phil Combest is hopeful Reed Kan will return to the form that saw him register a wire-to-wire first-level turf allowance victory earlier in the session, for which he received an 88 Beyer Figure.

Total Expectations also figures to be forwardly placed. He returns from a four-month freshening off a second-place finish in the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes at Parx on Dec. 2.

Oh My Warrior, exiting a 2 1/2-length victory against $35,000 claiming rivals on Feb. 23, completes the lineup.