Lukes Alley faces tough assignment in Gulfstream Park Turf repeat bid

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – There are so many legitimate contenders in Saturday’s Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap that it’s hard to know where to start when looking for the most likely winner. One entrant who might have been forgotten is the defending champion himself, Lukes Alley, who has started just twice since winning this race one year ago.

The 1 1/8-mile Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap highlights a 12-race program that also includes the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap and Grade 3 Suwannee River. First post is noon Eastern.

Lukes Alley rallied from midpack to a neck decision over Shining Copper, with All Included third, in the 2016 Gulfstream Park Turf. After that race, Lukes Alley was injured in the spring and was off for nine months.

Trainer Josie Carroll has used the same two races as last year to prepare the 7-year-old for a defense of his title, the Grade 2 Autumn at Woodbine and the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale here last month. Lukes Alley finished seventh in the Fort Lauderdale, beaten less than three lengths, after having to check briefly and alter course near midstretch.

“He’s doing really well,” said Carroll, who trains the homebred Lukes Alley for Eugene Melnyk. “I thought he ran a really good race last time. He lost a bit of momentum when getting caught in traffic, and that made a big difference. This is a tough group of horses, but on his best day, he’s a pretty good horse himself.”

Carroll has the meet’s leading rider, Luis Saez, aboard Lukes Alley for the first time Saturday.

Lukes Alley will face a group decidedly deeper than the one he defeated a year ago. The field includes two other Grade 1 winners, Beach Patrol and Divisidero; the 120 pound highweight, Flatlined; the steadily improving Almanaar; All Included; likely pacesetter Eirigh; and War Correspondent, who finished third in this event two years ago.

Beach Patrol and Almanaar make up a potent one-two punch for trainer Chad Brown. Beach Patrol has not started since finishing second in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar nine weeks ago. He won the Grade 1 Secretariat last summer at Arlington Park. The Gulfstream Park Turf will be his first start against older horses.

“I freshened him up,” Brown said. “He’s breezing nicely, but it’s hard to come off a bit of a break into a Grade 1 and go up against older horses for the first time. But a mile and one-eighth is perfect for him, and he’s got a lot of class.”

Almanaar has progressed in each of his three starts since coming to the U.S. and joining Brown’s potent stable last summer. A Group 3 winner in France, he surged late to miss by a neck to Flatlined in the Fort Lauderdale.

Flatlined has never been better but will be trying 1 1/8 miles for the first time. He finished full of run under regular rider Joe Bravo to become a graded stakes winner in the Fort Lauderdale.

All Included returned from an extended vacation to finish second under optional-claiming conditions Jan. 15. He was beaten a length by Lukes Alley after a ground-saving trip in the 2016 Gulfstream Park Turf.

“We took the conservative route, running him in the optional-claiming race off the layoff,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “I think he got enough out of it, and he’s training well since, so I think he’s sitting on as well as he can run.”

Divisidero was arguably best in the 1 1/16-mile Fort Lauderdale after being trapped very wide throughout. He finished third, a length short of the top pair, while making his first start since running fifth in the Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont in June. Divisidero ran a similar race when narrowly beaten following a wide trip in the Grade 3 Appleton here last winter as a prelude to his neck victory over World Approval in the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Buff Bradley is hoping Divisidero has a better trip Saturday than he did in the Fort Lauderdale.

“He was wide, and it’s tough on a course like this because the turns are tighter,” said Bradley. “Hopefully, stretching out to a mile and one-eighth will spread the field out a little more.”