Large fields of juveniles for Florida Sire Stakes

Some years are better than others in the Florida Sire Stakes. Time will tell whether a top-notch racehorse is entered in either of the two races that kick off the prestigious series Saturday at Gulfstream Park, but the first takeaway from the $100,000 Dr. Fager and $100,000 Desert Vixen is that there’s some depth to this crop of Florida-bred 2-year-olds.

Indeed, buoyed by rich bonus incentives paid throughout the year to breeders and owners of Florida-breds, the state’s program once again is thriving. Exhibits A and B are the lineups for the six-furlong races that anchor a 13-race program that starts at 12:15 p.m. Eastern at Gulfstream in South Florida.

Ten colts and geldings will go first in the 37th Dr. Fager (race 12, 6:04). Fully Loaded, sharp in winning over the local surface in both his starts, figures as an odds-on choice under jockey Edgard Zayas. Trainer Jose Pinchin, who two years ago swept the divisional series with Three Rules, is hoping for similar domination from Fully Loaded, although he cautioned that any direct comparisons are premature.

“It’s hard to do,” Pinchin told Gulfstream publicity this week. “When he does what Three Rules has done, then you can [compare them].”

Fully Loaded, by Two Step Salsa, is owned by Rousseau Racing and Calypso Stable. Off a 7 1/2-length romp in a July 6 allowance at Gulfstream, the colt will break from post 6 on Saturday.

Among his chief opposition is the uncoupled Michael Yates-trained duo of Cajun Embers (post 2, Jesus Rios) and Cajun Firecracker (post 7, Miguel Vasquez), both of them maiden winners at the Gulfstream spring meet, which ended June 30. Of the two, Cajun Firecracker might rate the better chance despite having been away since capturing his April debut.

“He broke his maiden very early,” said Yates. “He’s a May foal. I gave him 30 days off at the farm and started him back and planned his works leading up to the race. He’s working really well.”

Other considerations include another Pinchin trainee, Jackson (post 4, Emisael Jaramillo); Nacho Papa (post 3, Jeffrey Sanchez), a distant second behind Fully Loaded last out; Take Command (post 8, Nik Juarez), a nifty debut winner for Terri Pompay; and Garter and Tie (post 9, Tyler Gaffalione), one of three maidens in the Dr. Fager.

The filly counterpart, the 37th Desert Vixen (race 13, 6:37), is about as competitive as you will find a 2-year-old race anywhere at this time of year. Capture Your Dream is listed as a 5-2 program choice by Gulfstream oddsmaker Jay Stone, but there are at least several others who also will attract strong window play, including Select Friday (post 1, Juarez), Nancysaidso (post 3, Jaramillo), Starry Affair (post 4, Alex Canchari), and Valkyrie Gold (post 12, Zayas).

Capture Your Dream (post 9, Gaffalione) was so impressive in winning her May 13 debut that owner John C. Oxley made a private offer for a partial interest that Kathy Machesky, the filly’s breeder and original owner, couldn’t refuse. Now trained by Mark Casse, Capture Your Dream will be treated with the diuretic Lasix for the first time after a steady series of morning works at the Palm Meadows training center.

Select Friday rallied to win her July 1 debut for trainer David Fawkes, who couldn’t be more pleased with her progress in the interim.

“She’s doing super,” said Fawkes. “I expect her to be one of the favorites.”

Valkyrie Gold hails from the ever-powerful Todd Pletcher shed row at Palm Beach Downs in Delray Beach, Fla. The Exclusive Quality filly has been away since winning one of the first baby races on the circuit April 12.

Stanley Gold, the leading trainer in series history with 18 wins, is taking a scattershot approach to the Desert Vixen with these five fillies: Capriati (post 5, Rios), Cookie Dough (post 6, Sanchez), Bimini (post 7, J.J. Gonzales), Snowzilla (post 10, Reylu Gutierrez), and Samoa (post 14, Luca Panici).

The Florida Sire events conclude the 20-cent Rainbow 6, which spans races 8-13. The Rainbow 6 carryover stood at nearly $600,000 entering Thursday, with no sweeps having occurred since the 56-day summer meet began July 1. Assuming the jackpot isn’t emptied Thursday or Friday, a Saturday coup by a solo winning ticket would have to be worth around $1 million.

The Florida Sire Stakes, formerly known as the Florida Stallion Stakes, has been run annually since being inaugurated in 1982 at the old Calder Race Course (now Gulfstream West) by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association. Subsequent legs in the 2018 series are the $200,000 Affirmed and $200,000 Susan’s Girl (both seven furlongs) on Sept. 1 and the $400,000 In Reality and $400,000 My Dear Girl (both 1 1/16 miles) on Sept. 29.