Not Acclaim perfectly spotted

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Even trainer Kirk Ziadie admits Not Acclaim cannot go a step farther than five furlongs. Fortunately for Ziadie, Not Acclaim won't have to when he takes on nine rivals in Thursday's $43,000 allowance feature at Gulfstream Park, carded at exactly five furlongs on the turf.

"Five furlongs is his game," said Ziadie. "He can't go anything past that. He's also much more effective on turf than dirt. I won't run him if this race comes off the grass."

Ziadie also entered the red-hot Fortunate Trail for the main track only, should the race be switched to the dirt because of adverse weather.

Ziadie is in the midst of another excellent meet, saddling winners at a 27 percent clip. He entered Not Acclaim under a $57,500 claiming price in a race that will be run under optional claiming and allowance conditions.

"I ran him for $75,000 in his last start and he got caught down the stretch," said Ziadie. "This field should be a little easier for him."

Not Acclaim runs for a claiming tag in order to be eligible since he already won the second-level allowance condition twice since June. He has won 5 of 12 starts and was worse than second only three times in 2007. He ran second in a $35,000 optional claiming-allowance race at Calder to begin his 2008 campaign.

Mr. Silver figures to receive plenty of wagering support, too. A stakes-tested veteran who will be making his first start locally in 14 months, Mr. Silver also runs under a claiming tag in order to qualify for the race.

Mr. Silver had a frustrating season in 2007, finishing second in turf sprint stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, Monmouth Park (twice), and Saratoga. He returns to grass after finishing fourth over the synthetic surface at Ocala in the Florida Thoroughbred Charities Stakes on Feb. 11.

Other key contenders are Machismo, Bow Out, Irish Dreamer, and Lox and Kippers.

Later on Thursday's card, My Baby Baby returns to allowance company to face five other 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/8 miles in her first start since finishing second in Tampa Bay Downs's Suncoast Stakes. My Baby Baby won her previous start, at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 23, by more than a dozen lengths.

My Baby Baby faces a field that includes three recent maiden winners - Scolara, Money My Honey, and African Violet - along with Wish Me Success and Trizelle.