Lynch looks to continue hot start to meet with Mythic Performance

As part of his hot start to the Gulfstream Park winter meet, trainer Brian Lynch has sent out second-time starting juveniles Hammerstein and Mackville to maiden victories.

Thursday, Lynch will look to continue that trend when Mythic Performance, a 2-year-old by Oscar Performance, makes his second start in a $70,000 maiden special weight race going 1 1/16 miles over Gulfstream’s Tapeta surface. The race goes as the last of nine on an otherwise pedestrian program that begins at 12:10 p.m.

Before he ran second-time starter Rainy Night on Tuesday at Gulfstream, Lynch, over the last two years, was 7 for 25 (28 percent) with a $3.55 return on investment with 2-year-olds making their second career start.

Four of Lynch’s six wins from 16 starters at the nascent Gulfstream meet have come with 2-year-olds. On Sunday, Mackville, a son of Speightster, won a six-furlong maiden race on synthetic after finishing sixth in his debut on dirt at Churchill Downs.

On Saturday, Hammerstein won a 1 1/16-mile maiden turf race after finishing seventh in his dirt debut in October at Keeneland. For good measure, the Lynch-trained Dashman finished second in that race.

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Mythic Performance, like Hammerstein, is a son of Oscar Performance, whom Lynch trained to win four Grade 1 races and bank more than $2.34 million. Silent Heart, a third-out maiden winner at Gulfstream on Dec. 7, is by Heart to Heart, a horse Lynch trained for 36 of his 41 starts and who won 11 graded stakes.

“It’s been really cool for us to work with these babies that we trained their fathers,” Lynch said Tuesday. “I think it gives us some insight on what they want to do and how far they want to run.”

Mythic Performance finished third on debut at Gulfstream on Nov. 18 going a mile and 70 yards. Racing between horses and in midpack down the backside, Mythic Performance made a mild rally along the rail, but was four lengths back of Mugatu, who was making his fifth career start.

“I think he’s going to come on a lot from the race. He sure looks like two turns is no problem for him. I think he’ll be a bit more forwardly placed this time,” Lynch said. “We thought it might take him a couple of runs before he gets it worked out. He’s certainly got his share of talent.”

Edgard Zayas, aboard for the debut run, will ride from post 8 on Thursday.

Competition appears to run deep in this heat led by Inherent Promise, who Bill Mott wheels back 18 days after finishing a troubled third going a mile over Gulfstream’s turf in his third career start.

Todd Pletcher sends out the uncoupled pair of El Rezeen, a first-time starter by English Channel, and Always Be Smart, beaten 10 1/4 lengths in his debut on dirt at Gulfstream on Nov. 4.

Trainer Christophe Clement sends out the firster Streamsong, a son of Omaha Beach who brought $450,000 as a yearling. Clement has good numbers with first-time starters going a mile. This mount marks the first at Gulfstream for European champion jockey Oisin Murphy, who is planning to ride at least two months in the U.S.

Team Captain was ninth on debut for George Weaver, who has the services of Irad Ortiz Jr. That tandem is hitting at 40 percent over the last two years at Gulfstream.

F Five fights back to win Jerkens

Lynch’s success at Gulfstream this winter hasn’t been exclusive to 2-year-olds. Sunday, Lynch sent out the 4-year-old F Five to post a neck victory in the $100,000 H. Allen Jerkens going two miles on turf.

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After setting the pace under Luis Saez, favored F Five ($5.40) was passed near the quarter pole, but came back on in the stretch to narrowly prevail. His final time of 3:20.81 equated to an 89 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I always felt if you can leave him alone long enough he gets very, very game on the lead,” Lynch said. “When they got a neck on him I thought that might be the end of that, but Luis got to riding and kept finding.

“What a fantastic, exciting finish when they hook up at the top of the lane and battle it out all the way to the bottom.”

Lynch indicated the $200,000 William L. McKnight going 1 1/2 miles on the Jan. 27 Pegasus undercard would be next for F Five. A 4-year-old gelding by Not This Time, F Five is owned by Ferro Family Trust, Larry Connor, and Bruno Deberdt.

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