Largent biggest name on Tropical Turf nominations list

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – What do Largent, Mutasaabeq, and Bemma’s Boy have in common? All three are finally ready to return to action after being given extended vacations following big stakes efforts, and all are among the 14 horses nominated for Saturday’s Grade 3 Tropical Turf, the lone stakes race to be offered here this week.

Largent is the marquee name on that list, having been away since finishing second, beaten a neck by stablemate Colonel Liam, in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational here nearly one year ago. About the same margin separated the same pair when they worked an easy five furlongs in company in 1:02.01 over the dirt under the watchful eye of trainer Todd Pletcher last Friday morning at Palm Beach Downs.

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Mutasaabeq, also trained by Pletcher, has been away since winning the one-mile Mucho Macho Man to launch his abbreviated 3-year-old campaign over the main track here on New Year’s Day 2021. The versatile Mutasaabeq had captured the Grade 2 Bourbon making his turf debut during the fall of his juvenile campaign.

Bemma’s Boy has been away the longest of them all, having not started since getting up in the final strides to register a game neck decision over his stablemate Zulu Alpha in the Grade 2 Pan American in March 2020. Bemma’s Boy also has been working steadily and has been stabled with trainer Mike Maker’s Gulfstream Park-based contingent.

Other prominent names among the Tropical Park Turf nominees include Field Pass, who closed his 2021 campaign with a game victory over old nemesis Sacred Life in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar; English Bee, third here last month behind Doswell in the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale; and the multiple stakes winner Value Proposition.