Lasso fit, fresh for allowance feature

Two of the key races on the Sunday card at Gulfstream Park West are the seventh and eighth, a 2-year-old maiden race and a first-level allowance. They are connected by a daily double and are part of rolling pick threes.

The allowance, at 1 1/16 miles on turf, is competitive, but the horse to beat is Lasso, trained by Jorge Navarro. Other top contenders in the nine-horse field include Palace Gate, Chiseled, and Skip’s World.

Navarro, who won his second straight Monmouth Park training title this summer, had won with 5 of 10 starters at this meet through Thursday. He claimed Lasso from Rudy Rodriguez for $12,500 at Monmouth on July 20.

In his first start off the claim, Lasso finished fourth while being switched to dirt in an open $16,000 claimer. His Beyer Speed Figure climbed from a 72 to an 84. Returned to turf eight days later on Aug. 30, Lasso won a $16,000 claimer restricted to non-winners of four races by 4 3/4 lengths, earning a 90 Beyer. The only other horse in this field to run a figure that high is Handsome Jack, and that was in June 2012.

Navarro has given the 5-year-old Lasso an eight-week freshening since his last race and three works over the local track. He is a confirmed front-runner and will have to outhoof Handsome Jack and Roman’s Avenue for the lead.

Palace Gate, trained by Todd Pletcher, showed promise early this year at Gulfstream Park but will be making his first start since March. Chiseled has won two consecutive conditioned claiming races for trainer Tom Proctor. And Skip’s World, after taking 14 tries to win his maiden, closed stoutly to dead heat for second in his first try against allowance company for trainer Harry Benson.

Although this spot looks a bit rugged, the 8-year-old Gamblin Fever deserves a mention as he put together back-to-back wins for the first time in his career. The old warrior has won his last two starts and is 6 for 81 lifetime. He made his debut in October 2008.

In the seventh race, a seven-furlong maiden race, Pletcher rolls out first-time starter Quality Interest, a Robert S. Evans homebred by Quality Road. Quality Interest is a half-brother to Al Muhtasib, a two-turn stakes winner who won 6 of 16 starts and $250,000.

The horse to beat here is Rockinatten, who has finished second and third in his first two races. Trainer Ralph Nicks adds blinkers to Rockinatten’s equipment Sunday.

In his first start, Rockinatten made what looked like a winning move and then hung. Last time out, he challenged for the lead, tried to lug in, and was outfinished. He is the type of 2-year-old who may move up markedly with blinkers.