Malagacy vs. Recruiting Ready in Thursday allowance

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Two stakes-quality colts making their 4-year-old debuts following lengthy layoffs will face each other Thursday in an intriguing feature at Gulfstream.

Malagacy, whose 2017 campaign ended after he finished fifth as the 2-1 second choice in the Arkansas Derby last April, will be opposed by multiple stakes-winning sprinter Recruiting Ready in the fourth race, the lone allowance on a 10-race card. Hybrid conditions for the $53,000, six-furlong race include a $75,000 claiming option for which three of the six scheduled starters are entered.

Malagacy, trained by Todd Pletcher for the Sumaya US Stables, has been working forwardly at Palm Beach Downs in recent weeks. The Shackleford colt began his career here last winter with back-to-back wins in Gulfstream sprints and a victory in the Rebel at Oaklawn Park prior to his Arkansas Derby defeat, after which he was withdrawn from Kentucky Derby consideration. Javier Castellano has the mount from post 1.

Recruiting Ready (post 3, Jose Ortiz), trained by Horacio de Paz for Sagamore Farm, has been highly precocious from the outset, winning 4 of 10 career starts, including two six-furlong stakes last spring. He was third in his most recent start, the Grade 2 Woody Stephens on the June 10 Belmont Stakes undercard.

Among the others facing Malagacy and Recruiting Ready is another Pletcher 4-year-old, Sonic Mule (post 6, John Velazquez).

The feature precedes the start of the Rainbow 6 sequence, which runs from races 5-10. The rollover provision in the Rainbow 6 jackpot stood at more than $2 million before action began Monday. Track officials have called for a mandatory dispersal of the Rainbow 6 on Jan. 28, the Sunday after the Pegasus World Cup.