Lynch has live shots in Appleton and Florida Derby

Brian Lynch is very much alive in the late double Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

One race before saddling Classic Causeway as one of the favorites in the Florida Derby, Lynch will send out Phantom Currency off a lengthy layoff as a major threat in the Grade 3, $100,000 Appleton.

Phantom Currency was sidelined with a soft-tissue injury after winning the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida in February 2021 at Gulfstream.

“We gave him more than enough time,” Lynch said. “We re-scanned him and couldn’t see anything, so we should be all set.”

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Irad Ortiz Jr. will be aboard Phantom Currency breaking from post 7 in the Appleton, a one-mile turf race that directly precedes the Florida Derby as the 13th race (post, 5:55 p.m. Eastern). Ortiz also rides Classic Causeway.

Phantom Currency is one of nine older horses in the Appleton, and given how fresh he’ll be, the speedy 6-year-old gelding could prove a tough catch. A series of eight timed works at Palm Meadows precedes this eagerly awaited comeback, including a handful of bullet drills, and Lynch could scarcely be happier with how the son of Goldencents has progressed.

“He’s been working very well,” Lynch said. “We’re looking for a great spring and summer from him.”

If Phantom Currency isn’t quite ready, this race could fall any number of ways – especially if he is subject to sustained pressure on the front end by Gray’s Fable or Carpenters Call, both of whom have tended to fare best when on or near the early lead.

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Wolfie’s Dynaghost (post 3, Jose Ortiz) switches surfaces yet again when putting his versatility on display for trainer Tom Albertrani. The 4-year-old colt already has won over dirt, turf, and synthetics, and his Beyer Speed Figures suggest he could emerge a serious contender given careful early rating.

Scarlett Sky (post 2, Joel Rosario) is a late-running colt making his 4-year-old debut following a minor layoff for Shug McGaughey. The son of Sky Mesa was good enough to win the Grade 3 Transylvania over the Keeneland turf exactly one year ago Saturday.

English Bee (post 9, Luis Saez) has knocked out more than $500,000 the hard way, frequently bringing home a check in high-end events while having posted just one victory since October 2019.

Rounding out the Appleton lineup are Noble Indy, Order and Law, and the 2021 Queen’s Plate winner, Safe Conduct.

This is the 70th running of a longtime Gulfstream fixture that honors Arthur Appleton, the Chicago-born businessman and philanthropist who was a staunch supporter of the Florida racing and breeding industries prior to his death in 2008 at age 92.