Lil's Fast Boy looks good off the claim

Lil’s Fast Boy, who has been nearly unbeatable in the mid-level conditioned claiming ranks for the past four months, will attempt to take his game to the next level and return quick dividends to his new connections in a $39,000 optional claimer for Florida-breds Thursday at Gulfstream Park. Seven are entered in the six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up.

Lil’s Fast Boy has captured four of his last five starts, all under a $12,500 claiming tag, dating back to his maiden win May 25. The wins came by margins ranging from four to 6 1/2 lengths. Surprisingly, nobody reached in for the 3-year-old son of Congrats during that streak, until trainer Oscar Gonzalez finally dropped a claim in the name of the Robin Team Show Racing Corp. prior to his most recent victory Aug. 19.

Gonzalez has bided his time with his new acquisition, taking him up to his base at the Palm Meadows training center and working him three times before finding what looks like a pretty good spot Thursday.

“I saw that he had an acceptable campaign in claiming races and that he’d been improving each time,” Gonzalez said through an interpreter Monday. “And I thought he’d have a pretty good chance in a Florida-bred allowance race.”

Lil’s Fast Boy’s workouts since his most recent victory include a near-bullet half-mile in 47.40 seconds on Sept. 16 at Palm Meadows.

“He’s been training very well,” said Gonzalez, who has 16 horses in his care and has won nine races during the summer meet. “His works have all been very good since I’ve had him.”

While Lil’s Fast Boy is one of several proven commodities in the field, it is the once-raced Bold Envoy who may prove the one to beat. Bold Envoy won his only start by 9 1/4 lengths under a $35,000 claiming tag for trainer Monte Thomas here Aug. 17. Bold Envoy, a 3-year-old son of Indian Express, was given an 83 Beyer Speed Figure for that performance, easily the best last-race number of any member of the field.

“I ran him for $35,000 first time because I didn’t think the breeding was anything special to anyone but us, he didn’t have exceptionally fast works, and it got him eligible for starter races,” Thomas said. “I’m a little bit concerned by his lack of experience relative to the others in this field, but they don’t write many never-won-twos here, he’s doing well, and I think he should run good again.”

Bold Envoy figures to be pressed for the early lead by Blind Ruckus, who’ll break from the rail and also is coming off a maiden win – albeit in his 17th start – going seven furlongs against restricted company July 28.

Other multiple winners in the lineup aside from Lil’s Fast Boy include Dangerous Bend and Silver Shalis. Dangerous Bend finished second under similar conditions Aug. 21. Silver Shalis is stepping up in company off a couple of easy victories and for a new owner, having been haltered for $10,000 out of his last start by the Bersalu Farm Inc and trainer Bernardo Campos.