Last Leaf hoping to take advantage of speed duel in Roar Stakes
Strategy will play a key role in the outcome of the $75,000 Roar on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. The five-furlong turf dash for 3-year-olds drew six horses, but it looks like the race is between Classicstateofmind, Capture the Time, and Last Leaf.
Classicstateofmind and Capture the Time have speed, and it is safe to assume they will use it. If they get carried away up front, it could set up nicely for Last Leaf, who figures to be rolling late. Last Leaf is the only filly in the field.
Trained by Ron Spatz, Last Leaf is perfect in two starts at the distance and is coming off a win over American Starlet in the $75,000 Melody of Colors on March 26. With Miguel Vazquez riding, the Kentucky-bred daughter of Not This Time bided her time while Creative Girl was setting an honest pace under pressure from American Starlet in the five-furlong sprint on turf. She started to make her presence known coming out of the turn and finished strongly along the rail to win by a half-length.
If Last Leaf does win, it will not be the first time she beat the boys. Last year, she forced the issue early in her victory over Nerve in the $75,000 Hollywood Beach in her only other start going five furlongs on turf.
Last Leaf will break from post 4 with Vasquez up.
Classicstateofmind, trained by Jose D’Angelo, will appreciate the easier company after not being able to keep up with a tough group in the $188,788 Palisades on April 10 at Keeneland. The winner, Slipstream, won the Grade 3 Futurity going six furlongs on turf at Belmont last year. Twilight Gleaming, the runner-up, went into the Palisades off a win in the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar. In her only other loss on turf, Twilight Gleaming finished second in the Group 2 Queen Mary at Ascot for trainer Wesley Ward.
At least Classicstateofmind was in the mix for a half-mile before being overwhelmed in the 5 1/2-furlong turf race. In his previous start, the Kentucky-bred colt by Classic Empire took them all the way in a first-level allowance race that carried a $75,000 claiming option on Feb. 23 at Gulfstream. The 86 Beyer Speed Figure he received for his 2 1/2-length victory in the five-furlong turf sprint is the best in the field.
Classicstateofmind will break from the inside post with Emisael Jaramillo riding.
Capture the Time is coming off back-to-back wins going five furlongs on turf for trainer Reynaldo Yanez. A Florida-bred son of Uncaptured, Capture the Time dueled early before drawing off to win a $50,000 optional maiden-claiming race on March 9 and then took them all the way in a first-level allowance race that carried a $75,000 claiming option April 24.
Capture the Time will break directly to the right of Classicstateofmine with Leonel Reyes up. It will be interesting to see if an all-out duel develops, or if Reyes or Jaramillo will try to ration the substantial speed each of their horses possesses.
Post time for the first of 11 races on Saturday is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.