Kroy hits hard at this level; could change barns again

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A late pick four that includes a pair of starter allowances and a $48,000 allowance for Florida-breds are among the offerings that should pique horseplayers’ interest Thursday at Gulfstream Park.

The highlight of a 10-race card is the statebred allowance (race 9) that should have Kroy, a speedy gray 7-year-old with career earnings approaching $400,000, as the favorite for trainer Danny Gargan when facing no more than six other Florida-breds.

Kroy is well known among followers of the year-round Florida circuit, finishing first or second in 13 of 27 career starts for five different trainers. Gargan, who entered this week of racing with a 21-for-54 record (39 percent) at a championship meet that began Dec. 2, claimed Kroy here Dec. 23 for $16,000 and quite possibly will lose him Thursday when risking him for that same price.

“He’s a hard knocker,” Gargan said. “He looks like the controlling speed in this spot. If he switches leads, like we’ve been working on, he ought to be real tough.”

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Kroy will have Tyler Gaffalione aboard when breaking from the outside post as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in a field of eight going a mile on turf, although one of those, Please Sit Down, most likely will scratch as a main-track-only designate.

Freedom Matters (post 2, Paco Lopez), also right back in for the optional $16,000 tag after being claimed from his last start by Kelly Breen, looks like the top threat if Kroy can’t hold sway.

The two preceding events in the pick four, which spans races 7-10, are a $34,000 turf sprint for older fillies and mares (race 7) and a $35,000 mile on the main track for 3-year-olds (race 8).

For the record, the late pick four pool run under typical circumstances last Thursday drew $291,224 in handle.

First post Thursday is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. The late pick four coincides with the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (races 5-10), which was expected to offer a pool guarantee of at least $650,000, assuming the jackpot was not emptied Wednesday by a solo winning ticket.

Mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-80s are in the local forecast, meaning all five turf races are likely to be run as scheduled.