Marisa's Mission's delay may be blessing in disguise
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Marty Drexler had Marisa’s Mission entered in a $10,000 claiming race at Gulfstream Park earlier this month, but the gelding was scratched because his preparation was incomplete. Training at Drexler’s winter base, the Palm Meadows training center, was interrupted for more than a week because of an emergency resurfacing that began Jan. 30.
“We couldn’t breeze horses for the longest time, and it kind of screwed up my schedule with him,” Drexler said.
It might have been a blessing in disguise. Marisa’s Mission has resurfaced in the only allowance on a nine-race Friday card at Gulfstream and looks like one of the main contenders among nine older Florida-breds in a one-mile turf race with a $54,000 purse.
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“He’s doing really well right now, so I’d have to think he’s going to run a good race,” said Drexler, a 52-year-old native of Slovakia.
Marisa’s Mission, with Edgard Zayas riding from post 8, most recently was an okay fourth at 2-1 versus several of the same opponents he’ll face in the eighth of nine races. One difference: That Jan. 12 race was on the Tapeta and this one is on the grass.
“I think he’ll handle the turf just fine,” said Drexler, who has a stable of 42 horses at Palm Meadows after leaving his longtime Toronto base for a second winter at Gulfstream. From his nine prior turf tries, Marisa’s Mission is a two-time winner.
One key clause in the conditions for this race allows entry for a $20,000 optional tag. It’s how Over the Channel, winner of the Jan. 12 race, and two others are eligible after having already gone through this condition.
“The tag that gets attached to it can make it a different ballgame,” Drexler said. “You can end up facing a horse that’s already shown he can win at this level and can put up some numbers.”
Over the Channel (post 2, Sonny Leon) has undergone two barn changes since he was claimed from David Fawkes from the common race. He was seventh at 1-2 in an interim start Feb. 8 when claimed by Caro Caramori, who’ll saddle him Friday.
Other considerations include Java Buzz (post 4, Paco Lopez), second as an 11-10 favorite at this same level Jan. 25, and Freedom Matters (post 9, Irad Ortiz Jr.), an 8-year-old gelding who has been third or better in 31 of 43 career starts.
First post Friday is 12:10 p.m. Eastern. The nominal feature is part of a 20-cent Rainbow 6 (races 4-9) that began the five-day race week Wednesday with a jackpot carryover of $673,982.
The weekend highlight at Gulfstream is the $125,000 Gulfstream Sprint on Saturday. The following Saturday, March 4, brings one of the major events of the 2022-23 Championship meet, the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and eight other stakes.
Colonel Liam recognized
In recognition of his back-to-back wins in the Pegasus World Cup Turf (2021-22), Gulfstream has renamed one of its top turf stakes for 3-year-olds the Colonel Liam. Formerly known as the Palm Beach Stakes, the $200,000 Colonel Liam is set for the Fountain of Youth undercard.
Colonel Liam, trained by Todd Pletcher, was retired last month to begin his stud career at Ocala Stud.
◗ Pletcher said Charge It is “unlikely” for the Grade 2 Gulfstream Mile on the Fountain of Youth card.
“He’s doing great,” he said. “We’re just looking to fill in the gap between the Met Mile and Whitney.”
Charge It, a 4-year-old Whisper Hill Farm homebred, was a comfortable winner of a Gulfstream allowance on Feb. 5 in his first start since he won the Dwyer last July with a 111 Beyer Speed Figure.
◗ Tyler Gaffalione and Luis Saez both will be missing from Gulfstream this weekend while they ride in Saudi Arabia. Gaffalione was scheduled to ride here Wednesday and Thursday before leaving, while Saez had no scheduled mounts. Both men have won multiple Gulfstream riding titles and also share the record for most wins (seven) on a single Gulfstream card.
◗ Gulfstream announced this week that Florida-bred incentives for 2023 will total $1.75 million when renewing agreements with the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association and the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. That total includes $450,000 in bonuses for statebred 2-year-old maiden winners and $1.2 million in purses for the annual Florida Sire Stakes series.
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