No clear standout in St. Patrick’s Day turf-route feature

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Revelers will be wearing the green Tuesday, but horseplayers just hope to be holding the green. A rare Tuesday of racing is being held at Gulfstream Park on the occasion of St. Patrick’s Day, with a $35,000 starter-allowance anchoring a rather modest 10-race card.

A full field of 3-year-old fillies in that ninth-race feature should make for some spirited wagering, with Twist ’n Bake, Anita Partner, Trigger Finger, and Jewelisa likely to form a core of favorites. In all, 13 are entered in the 1 1/16-mile turf race, although only as many as 10 will start.

Other races of note Tuesday include a $22,000 starter-allowance on turf (race 5) and a maiden special weight mile (race 6). They are part of a Rainbow 6 sequence (races 5-10) with a jackpot carryover of $76,500.

Tuesday is normally a dark day at Gulfstream, but officials decided to run on the St. Paddy’s holiday to replace a program lost Wednesday, March 4, when the Fasig-Tipton sale was held on racetrack grounds.

First post is the usual 1 p.m. Eastern. Live action runs continuously here this week through Sunday.

KEY CONTENDERS

Twist ’n Bake (Last 3 Beyers: 75-66-65)

◗ This Langfuhr filly comes well-drawn in post 2 after having been claimed in back-to-back races, with her latest resulting in a dominant score over slightly lesser starter foes. New trainer Bobby Dibona shows decent numbers in the categories that apply here.

Anita Partner (Last 3 Beyers: 68-58-45)

◗ Tom Proctor and his far-flung stable haven’t made it over to Gulfstream from Tampa Bay Downs very often this winter, but the trainer must have thought this spot was a nice fit for a filly who seems to have made some progress in the last few months. She figures to get a typical off-the-pace trip under Julien Leparoux.

Trigger Finger (Last 3 Beyers: 69-67-61)

◗ The Tino Attard stable claimed this filly from Mike Maker and Ken and Sarah Ramsey at something of a peak, as she won her latest on Feb. 12 at a slightly lower level when defeating Twist ’n Bake. Maintaining that sharpness is an obvious goal for her new connections.

Jewelisa (Last 3 Beyers: 71-10-58)

◗ This Silverton Hill homebred absolutely exploded in her latest when finally getting through her maiden condition on Feb. 25 for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who went 3 for 3 on that day. She retains jockey Jose Lezcano, whose career return on investment on turf is a remarkable $2.00.