Mr. Jordan in peak condition for Sunshine Millions Classic Preview

Trainer Ed Plesa Jr. is expecting another big performance from Mr. Jordan in the $100,000 Sunshine Millions Classic Preview at Gulfstream Park West on Saturday. If he’s right, Mr. Jordan, a nine-length winner at Parx Racing in his last start, is going to be a handful in the 1 1/16-mile race for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up, which drew eight horses.

The Classic, race 10, is one of seven $100,000 stakes for Florida-breds that are part of the 11-race Sunshine Millions Preview Day card. Sunshine Millions Day at Gulfstream Park is scheduled for Jan. 21, and will feature five stakes worth a total of $900,000.

In January, Mr. Jordan was the runner-up behind Mexikoma in the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Classic. Mr. Jordan tailed off following that big effort, but he returned to form as the runner-up in the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin at Monmouth Park on Aug. 27. Prior to the Iselin, Mr. Jordan finished third in the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup Handicap July 31.

“We were working through a foot problem all summer, and then we castrated him after the Monmouth Cup,” said Plesa. “He’s as good as he’s ever been right now.”

Plesa has his eye on the Sunshine Millions Classic ,but isn’t viewing Saturday’s race as a stepping-stone.

“I’m focused on this one,” he said. “He’s good right now and you never know about the future. He also likes the surface.”

Mr. Jordan, who won the Grade 3 Pegasus at Monmouth last year at 3, won two stakes as a 2-year-old in his only races at Gulfstream Park West.

In his last start, he came from a stalking position and easily handled Grade 3 winner Res Judicata going a mile and 70 yards in an allowance race at Parx on Oct. 17. He drew post 5 Saturday and could get a similar trip with Paco Lopez retaining the mount.

Hy Riverside, trained by Antonio Sano, has won three of his last four races, all at Gulfstream, and in his only loss in the span he came up a neck short as the runner-up to Abounding Legacy in the $75,000 Trinniberg. Hy Riverside has never gone around two turns, but the way he was drawing off when he won a one-turn mile in his last start, an optional $62,500 claiming race, suggests he won’t have any trouble handling the slightly longer distance.

J S Bach should appreciate the move to a route following a couple of lackluster performances in sprints. In his last route attempt, J S Bach finished third going 1 1/16 miles in the $90,000 State Dinner. The race was won by Comfort, who finished second to Frosted in the Grade 1 Whitney in his next start.

Saraguaro won the Classic Preview last year but hasn’t been a serious factor in any of his four subsequent races.

Distaff Preview

The first of the seven stakes is the Distaff Preview (race 2). Moment and Delight and You Bought Her are the main players in the seven-furlong dash for fillies and mares, which drew seven horses.

Moment of Delight will be making her third start for trainer Stanley Gold, and her first two were solid. Gold picked up Moment of Delight from William Kaplan, who retired earlier this year, and in her first start for him she was an easy winner going 6 1/2 furlongs in the $75,000 Boca Chica for Florida-bred fillies and mares at Gulfstream on June 25.

Coming back two months later in the unrestricted Added Elegance, Moment of Delight lost a race-long duel to Curlins Approval but held on well to finish a clear second.

Moment of Delight has two bullet works since that Aug. 28 race. Eddie Castro rides her for the third straight time.

The well-traveled You Bought Her has made six starts at six tracks since finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Inside Information at Gulfstream on March 19. Her only win on her journeys came at Keeneland in her last start. You Bought her forced the early pace before drawing off to win a seven-furlong optional $100,000 claiming race by 5 1/2 lengths.

Trained by David Hinsley, You Bought Her is a five-time winner going seven furlongs – and it could have been six. She had traffic trouble in the $200,000 Sunshine Millions in January and lost by a head to Mom’z Laugh.

You Bought Her drew the rail Saturday with Mitchell Murrill retaining the mount.