Lochte gets winter vacation

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Turf standout Lochte will be getting a few months off after having a three-race win streak snapped when finishing fourth as the favorite in the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale here at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 9.

“He’s been going at it real hard for a while now,” said trainer Marcus Vitali. “He’s earned some downtime. I’ll probably do the same for Valid [the Donn runner-up] after he runs one more time at this meet.”

Lochte, a 6-year-old gelding owned by Crossed Sabres Farm, broke through two years ago when upsetting the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap at 39-1. His earnings now stand at $765,367.

Prado returns out of town

Edgar Prado is using Gulfstream as his primary base this winter, but the Hall of Fame jockey is scheduled to ride elsewhere when launching a comeback from his latest injury.

Prado was named on one mount Wednesday and one Friday at Tampa Bay Downs, both for trainer Graham Motion. He also will ride Saturday there in the Sam F. Davis Stakes, according to agent Bob Klesaris, and not at Turfway Park, although he was named on a horse there.

Prado, 48, has been out since sustaining six broken ribs and other injuries in a Dec. 13 spill at Gulfstream.

Catch a Glimpse breezes

Catch a Glimpse, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, had another workout at Palm Meadows this week as she continues preparations toward her 3-year-old debut.

Catch a Glimpse breezed five furlongs in 1:02 on Monday in a work that assistant trainer Norm Casse called “awesome.” It was the filly’s sixth work since the Breeders’ Cup. She runs next in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes on Feb. 27 at Gulfstream.

Barbarenda seeks a sprint

Ralph Nicks said he will look around for a suitable next spot for Barbarenda after the 3-year-old filly won a six-furlong race here last Friday to run her career record to 2 for 3.

“I’m not really looking at the Davona Dale,” said Nicks, referring to the Grade 2 race at a mile Feb. 27. “She’s probably more of a sprinter.”

Barbarenda, by Sidney’s Candy, was produced by Renda, which makes her a half-sister to the late Rock Fall, a 2015 Eclipse Award finalist for top sprinter.

◗ Wednesday at Gulfstream started a six-day race week, with a special 12-race card set for Monday because of the Presidents Day holiday. The entire program will be made up of starter-allowance races worth $50,000 or $60,000 apiece. After Monday, Gulfstream goes dark for just one day, with a five-day week starting Wednesday, Feb. 17, meaning there will be only one dark day (Feb. 16) here in a 12-day span (Feb. 10-21).

◗ Gulfstream has reported handle of $19.95 million on the 13-race Donn Handicap card, up 15 percent from the corresponding 2015 program. Combined handle for the two-day weekend surpassed $30 million, with the 13-race Super Bowl Sunday program attracting more than $10 million.