Meyer should enjoy return to turf after synthetic dud

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – After winning a pair of races on Sunday’s card, trainer Marty Drexler will look to keep his hot streak going when sending out Meyer as one of the leading contenders in the second of two $91,000 allowance races to be decided on the turf when racing resumes following the regular two-day hiatus Wednesday at Gulfstream Park.

Meyer is one of eight long-winded grass specialists set to go 1 3/8 miles under mid-level optional-claiming and allowance conditions in the eighth event. The 7-year-old veteran returns to the turf and drops into a more suitable spot after closing his 2023 campaign finishing a tiring 11th in the Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes run at 1 1/2 miles over the synthetic surface on Dec. 3 at Woodbine.

In his three previous starts, Meyer had posted a win and a pair of seconds, all on turf, against similar opposition as he’ll encounter in his 2024 debut.

“For whatever reason he is a little picky on the synthetic track and just doesn’t seem to care for the synthetic surface in Toronto,” Drexler said. “He’s always been a grass horse, so this looks like a very good spot for him. The distance is the key and he’s doing really well right now, so I would say he should be live in this race.

“The trip is always important in these races and the nice thing is he has enough speed, for a horse that goes that long, to put himself where he needs to be. He’s not reliant on everything setting up in front of him.”

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Drexler’s two winners on Sunday gave him five for the meet to go along with four seconds from just 23 starters. He won 17 races at Gulfstream a year ago, 14 of those coming during the Championship meet.

The 7-year-old Meyer will be making his 33rd start, but he is not the elder statesman in the field. That distinction goes to the 8-year-old Henley’s Joy, who has won four times in 45 previous outings and who has been a model of consistency from a Beyer Speed Figure standpoint since joining training Mike Maker’s barn via the claim box last summer.

Harry Hood, who finished second after making the lead in early stretch under similar conditions going 1 1/2 miles on New Year’s Day, may prove the tepid favorite. The 83 Beyer he earned for the effort is the best of his still brief eight-race career.

Other notable contenders include Mo Vanishing, who comes in with three wins in his last four starts, and Cyber Ninja.

A full field of a dozen older fillies and mares will go 1 1/16 miles under first-level allowance and optional-claiming conditions in the co-featured fifth race.

Trainer Chad Brown may hold the upper hand with the pair of Delahaye, a well-graded maiden winner in her 3-year-old finale, and Party On Girl. They will face a well-matched lineup that also includes Texas Shuffle, who finished second under similar conditions in her last start; Pawky, who is coming off a third-place finish in the Miss Gracie Stakes over the Tapeta surface in her 3-year-old finale; and the 11-time turf winner Rosebud’s Hope.

Big Beyer maiden race

Young horses rarely run a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in their career debut. And when they do, it’s even rarer that they get beat. But that’s exactly what happened here Saturday to Victory Avenue, the highly touted New York-bred son of Arrogate, who was bet down to 3-2 favoritism at first asking and overcame a bit of an eventful start to finish second behind trainer Todd Pletcher’s Speak Easy, who earned a staggering 100 Beyer in his first career start.

“It’s hard to think, with that kind of effort, you’re going to get beat first time out in a maiden race. But that says a lot about the winner as well,” said Gustavo Delgado Jr., son of and assistant to his father, trainer Gustavo Delgado. “Obviously, there is nothing like winning. But we weren’t disappointed in his race at all. I know it sounds a little funny to say, but if you’re going to get beat, I guess that was the way to get beat.”

Victory Avenue, whose connections unveiled Kentucky Derby winner Mage in a maiden race here a year ago on Pegasus Day, ducked in briefly after the break before recovering and rushing to command under jockey Luis Saez. He set a rapid, contested pace through lively splits of 22.64 seconds and 44.61 while pressed by Speak Easy from the outset. He continued gamely upon relinquishing the lead in early stretch before ultimately dropping back nearly two lengths behind the winner at the wire.

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“When he drifted in at the start, Luis had to kind of shake him up a couple of times and rush him forward, which was different from the way we trained him in his breezes, which is to let him relax, get in stride, and finish,” Delgado said. “I think the second quarter in 22 was just a little too hard on him. But he didn’t quit when the other horse got by him.

“I think we came out of the race even more impressed with him than when we went in. Even in defeat. And I believe there is still a lot of room for improvement.”

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