Light Us Up's Beyer Figures stand out in Juvenile Turf

MIAMI – Had the $60,000 Juvenile Turf Stakes been run as scheduled last Saturday, Light Us Up would be spending this weekend in his regular stall at Belmont Park. But with the race postponed a week due to the soggy condition of the grass course, Light Us Up will be at Gulfstream Park West on Sunday, where he should be a key figure in the one-mile Juvenile Turf, which serves as the co-feature on a card that includes the $60,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Preview.

Light Us Up ships down from New York having won once in three starts, the victory coming in his debut going a mile at Monmouth Park in a race switched from the turf to the main track on Sept. 4. He has finished fifth in two subsequent stakes outings, with his recent Beyer Speed Figures of 65 and 68 pointing him out as perhaps the favorite in his local debut.

“The only reason he’s running is because they pushed the race back a week and it’s a good opportunity to run him against Florida-breds,” said trainer Jonathan Thomas, who vanned Light Us Up to Ocala earlier this week before completing the trip to South Florida on Friday. “He ran six furlongs last time, which should tighten him up to stretch back out to a mile. I’m bringing him back quicker than I normally would, and he’s had a long trip in between, but we’re trying to make the most out of him right now, and from the numbers it looks like he fits very well, especially returning to a two-turn configuration.”

Light Us Up is one of 10 2-year-olds entered for the Juvenile Turf, including Big Thorn, who will run only if the race switches to the main track. The horse to beat may be Hot Blooded, a winner of his last two starts, including the Proud Man Stakes on turf in which he defeated Boca Boy, who flattered the effort when returning to the main track to upset the In Reality Stakes in his next outing.

A full and very competitive group of a dozen fillies and mares, plus three main-track-only runners, was entered for the 7 1/2-furlong Filly and Mare Turf Preview, which also was postponed last Saturday.

Among the leading contenders are Picara, upset winner of this race at odds of 28-1 a year ago, and the ultra-consistent Lovely Luvy, who has registered Beyer Speed Figures of 77 in her last four starts. Lovely Luvy won a first-level allowance June 28 at Gulfstream.

King Guillermo drills for Cigar

With the disappointment of having to scratch King Guillermo out of the Kentucky Derby less than 72 hours before the race in the rearview mirror, trainer Juan Avila continues preparations for the final chapter of his star-crossed 3-year-old’s 2020 campaign, which will come Dec. 5 at Aqueduct in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile.

King Guillermo, who developed a slight temperature on the Wednesday afternoon prior to the Derby, turned in his final major work for the Cigar Mile on Friday at Gulfstream Park when breezing a half-mile in 46.99 seconds from the gate. Working in company, King Guillermo posted tailwind-aided splits of 23.69 and 35.48 for the opening three furlongs before galloping out five-eighths back into the strong wind in 59.67.

“I’m very happy, it was perfect,” Avila reported a short while later. “I worked him from the gate because he needed some competition – all his other works have been alone – and because it’s been a very long time since he’s run. He was a little nervous behind the gate, but he broke well and went very easily.”

King Guillermo won the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, but has been idle since his second-place finish in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on May 2.

Avila said King Guillermo is training as well for the Cigar Mile as he was in the weeks leading up to the Derby.

“It was impossible for a horse to have been doing any better than he was before the Derby,” Avila said. “I really expected him to win, he was training so well. And he’s going very similar now.”

Avila said he will give King Guillermo one more work, likely an easy half-mile here next Friday, before shipping to Belmont the following day. He also reported that Jose Ortiz will have the mount in the Cigar Mile.

“I think a mile is a good race for him since he hasn’t run in such a long time,” said Avila, who also will send the unraced King of Dreams to Aqueduct to make his career debut on the Cigar Mile undercard. King of Dreams, a son of Air Force Blue, also worked from the gate here earlier Friday, going four furlongs under pressure in 47.11. Former major leaguer Victor Martinez owns both King Guillermo and King of Dreams.