Miles Ahead aims to leave them behind in allowance

Miles Ahead won his most recent start by 7 1/4 lengths and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95. A repeat of that performance should make him tough to contain Saturday in the 11th race at Gulfstream Park.

The first-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up will be run over six furlongs and carries a claiming option of $25,000. The field of nine includes the promising Man of Honor.

Also on the card is a conditioned allowance that carries an optional claiming price of $62,500. It will be run over five furlongs on turf. The chief players in the eight-horse field appear to be Yes I Am Free, Lahinch, Tropicat, and Pay Any Price.

Miles Ahead defeated older $25,000 claiming rivals in his last start Aug. 28 at Gulfstream, but he did it like a stakes horse, ripping through six furlongs in 1:08.57. Cristian Torres was aboard the 3-year-old gelding by Competitive Edge for the first time and has the mount again Saturday for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr.

The Aug. 28 race was his first since April, and his first win since he racked up back-to-back wins this past winter at Gulfstream. In the first score in January, he finished miles ahead of his $12,500 maiden-claiming rivals, scoring by 12 1/4 lengths. One start later, Miles Ahead won a $25,000 optional-claiming race that had starter-allowance conditions on Feb. 10 at Gulfstream.

The partnership of David Melin, Leon Ellman, and Laurie Plesa races Miles Ahead. The colt is out of the mare Jennie R., a three-time stakes winner who earned $338,034. His half-siblings include Magic d’Oro, a multiple stakes winner who went 11 for 31, and La Grange, a stakes winner who also was Grade 2-placed.

Miles Ahead went gate to wire in his two wins earlier this year at Gulfstream. He drew the rail Saturday.

Man of Honor appears to be working his way back into the winner’s circle. He’s run second in each of his last two starts, both first-level allowances with claiming options of either $25,000 or $75,000. Man of Honor is a 3-year-old by Curlin and is moving back to the six-furlong distance of his maiden special weight win on June 13 at Gulfstream.

Emisael Jaramillo has the mount from post 3 for trainer Louie Roussel III.