Lightning-fast New York Thunder returns off 92-Beyer maiden win
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla – The return of sensational 2-year-old debut winner New York Thunder highlights Friday’s nine-race program at Gulfstream Park, which includes a pair of $86,000 allowance races on the turf.
New York Thunder goes in race 5, a five-furlong first-level allowance on turf for 2-year-olds. New York Thunder launched his career in a five-furlong maiden special weight dash over the Tapeta surface at Gulfstream on Nov. 27 for trainer Jorge Delgado. New York Thunder showed off a high turn of foot to control the race from start to finish, widening his advantage to 6 1/2 lengths at the wire despite switching leads a tad late, near midstretch. A son of Nyquist, New York Thunder earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure.
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New York Thunder, a $130,000 yearling purchase at the 2021 Keeneland September sale, is owned by AMO Racing USA. He faces seven rivals on Friday, including the stakes-placed Takecareofbusiness.
Delgado said New York Thunder showed talent while training in England before coming to the U.S.
“They already had a good idea he was going to be special,” said Delgado.
“He showed talent right away after he got here, so we weren’t entirely surprised by his first race,” he said. “He didn’t break as sharp as I thought, but he picked it up real quick and ran on from there.
“His breeding is mostly grass, so we’re trying this next. He’s worked very well on dirt, too, but we’ll take it one step at a time. Friday is the second step, and the way he’s been training I’d expect him to run every bit as good as he did the first time.”
Although New York Thunder appears to lay over the field from a Beyer standpoint and will probably be odds-on, he is untested on grass and is the first foal out of an unraced mare, which might lead some to take a stand against him.
Takecareofbusiness has also raced exclusively over the synthetic surface, so he, too, must answer the turf question on Friday. Trained by Joel Santiago, Takecareofbusiness comes into the race having hit the board in all three starts, highlighted by a second-place effort, beaten a half-length by No Name Dude, in the five-furlong Hollywood Beach on Oct. 8. Irad Ortiz Jr., the nation’s leading rider, will be aboard the promising youngster for the first time.
Rockin Roller also makes his turf debut. He is kin to three grass winners and exits a pair of sharp works, including a speedy four furlongs from the gate in 47.80 on Dec. 16.
Three Zero and Sea Hunter have the advantage of already testing the local turf course, finishing second and fourth Dec. 3 under conditions similar to Friday’s race. Sea Hunter was the 8-5 favorite that day, but had his best chances compromised by a poor start.
◗ Twelve 3-year-olds and up run in the eighth race, a first-level allowance at a mile and one-sixteenth over turf. It attracted a wide-open field that includes the Todd Pletcher-trained duo of Maritime Wings and Causin’ Mayhem, neither of whom had the best of trips in their last race.
Maritime Wings, who placed in a Group 2 stakes and a Group 3 stakes at 2 last year in Ireland, comes off his best effort in four U.S. starts. He finished a very wide third over the Tapeta course on Nov. 6 under conditions similar to Friday’s race.
Causin’ Mayhem figures to prompt the pace on Friday after failing to show his best speed here earlier this month in a one-mile allowance over the turf. He made a mild middle move outside rivals before checking home ninth as a 2-1 favorite.
The biggest question mark in the race is the stakes-tested New York-bred Therapist, who drops in under a $25,000 claiming tag after having been haltered for $80,000 out of an optional-claiming and allowance race at Aqueduct just three months ago. Therapist will race with blinkers on for the first time in his 36th career start. He shows a bullet half-mile drill in 48 at Palm Beach Downs on Dec. 17.
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