Morning Calm should handle distance in Raymond Earl

Morning Calm is the only member of the field with experience around three turns, and as a result he should prove the one to beat in Monday’s $60,000 Raymond Earl, a 1 1/2-mile overnight handicap at Gulfstream Park.

Morning Calm, a New York-bred trained by Michelle Nihei for the Great Hill Stables, is coming off a last-to-first half-length optional-claiming victory going 1 7/16 miles here April 4. He was defeated by three lengths under similar conditions earlier in the meet. Morning Calm was assigned 119 pounds for the Raymond Earl, one less than the highweight Best Plan Yet.

Best Plan Yet looks to snap a seven-race losing streak dating back to his come-from-behind victory in the Forty Niner overnight stakes in August. He finished fourth, beaten less than a length, when dropped into allowance company for the first time in his career in his most recent start.

The red-hot Rizwan won his stakes debut when rallying to a neck victory in the 1 1/16-mile English Channel Stakes six weeks ago, but must prove his mettle at the distance. He is one of two 3-year-olds in the field, along with Secret Chance, who exits a maiden win going six furlongs April 25.

Key contenders

Morning Calm (Last 3 Beyers: 86-86-77)

Paired up career-best Beyers in his last two starts and should only need a legitimate pace and clean trip to win a stakes for the first time.

Best Plan Yet (Last 3 Beyers: 76-63 80)

Never has really lived up to his early expectations after winning the final two legs of the Florida Stallion Stakes at Calder in 2013.

Rizwan (Last 3 Beyers: 87-77-72)

Continues to flourish for trainer Phil Gleaves. Earned far and away a career-best Beyer Speed Figure for his neck triumph in the English Channel last out.

Secret Chance (Last 3 Beyers: 81-71-47)

A little surprised to see the baby brother of a Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion, Secret Circle, trying 1 1/2 miles on the turf, although he did show a penchant for the grass when beaten a neck going 7 1/2 furlongs vs. maidens April 9.

Tap and Trade (Last 3 Beyers: 87-85-83)

He’s never been better and has proven to be a sharp claim by trainer Fergus Bogle, who took the son of Tapit for $7,500 last fall at Churchill Downs. He owns the best last-race Beyer along with Rizwan, but has yet to win beyond 1 1/16 miles and, like most of the others, has the distance question to answer Monday.