Mr. Online returns in a good spot

MIAMI – Wednesday’s main event at Gulfstream Park West is a good one – a high-level optional-claiming race that lured a field of eight topped by Mr. Baker, J S Bach, and the graded stakes winner Singanothersong. But perhaps the most interesting horse on the card will compete one race earlier in a starter optional claimer.

The Grade 1-placed Mr. Online makes his first start in more than a year and his first since being transferred to the barn of trainer David Braddy this summer.

Mr. Online, a 7-year-old son of Silent Home, will be making the 41st start of a career that began at Woodbine in 2011 and has been highlighted by his second-place finish there in the Grade 1 Nearctic two years later. In March 2013, Mr. Online was haltered by current owner Tim O’Donohue for $30,000. That race makes him eligible under the conditions of Wednesday’s fifth event.

“He’s not eligible for the Claiming Crown because he hasn’t run for a claiming tag for more than two years, but he is eligible for this race,” said Braddy.

Mr. Online’s career earnings stand at more than $540,000. Since being claimed, he has done most of his racing for trainer Michael Pino, who sent the gelding out to win an overnight stakes at Gulfstream Park in December 2013 and to finish second in both the Grade 3 Canadian Turf and Grade 3 Appleton later that winter. Mr. Online’s last two starts came for trainer Bill Mott.

“This horse was actually in my barn a couple of winters ago with Michael Pino,” said Braddy. “He started twice for Bill Mott last summer before being sent to Tim’s farm, Castle Gate, in Ocala, with a little issue late last year. I’ve had him here with me a couple of months, and he’s been training really well. He’s gone six furlongs in 1:14 and change in each of his last two works, and that’s pretty snappy at this old place.

“Hopefully, he’ll be fit enough right off the bat. He fits the condition well for this race, but it’s not a particularly easy spot, although it beats running first time back in an open allowance, which was our other alternative.”

Mr. Baker on favorite footing

Mr. Baker could prove the one to beat in the six-furlong feature, race 6. Mr. Baker has recorded four of his seven wins over the Gulfstream Park West main track and looks like the one to catch under jockey Edgard Zayas. He breaks from the rail for trainer Ralph Ziadie.

J S Bach, trained by Todd Pletcher, returns to south Florida off an eighth-place finish against stronger opposition at Saratoga on Sept. 4. The 4-year-old son of Tale of the Cat is winless since defeating optional-claiming company going a mile at Gulfstream Park while making his 2016 debut in March.

Singanothersong won the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector in 2013 and has won just twice since. He races for the first time since beating only one rival in the Bonita Stakes on the grass at Gulfstream on June 4.

◗ The undefeated 2-year-old sensation Three Rules is back on the grounds at Gulfstream Park after shipping out briefly to Ocala, Fla., last week as a precautionary measure in advance of Hurricane Matthew. Trained by Jose Pinchin, Three Rules is coming off a sweep of the Florida Sire Stakes under Cornelio Velasquez and will make his next start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita.