Ocala Stakes sets up a rematch

Gladiator King and Garter and Tie, who finished noses apart in that order in the seven-furlong Roar Stakes here on April 20, renew acquaintances when turning back to 6 1/2 furlongs for Saturday’s $75,000 Ocala Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The Ocala lured a field of seven 3-year-olds and serves as a prep for the seven-furlong Carry Back on June 29.

Pace will be the key to the late-striding Garter and Tie’s chances of reversing that last decision against Gladiator King, who validated the race by returning to finish second, beaten just a head by Lexitonian, in the Grade 3 Chick Lang four weeks later at Pimlico.

“Here we go again,” said trainer Ralph Nicks regarding Saturday’s rematch with Gladiator King. “I haven’t really looked the race over yet, I just hope there’s someone in there to entertain [Gladiator King]. Obviously, we need some help so he might come back to us at the end. I think my horse is probably a little better going seven furlongs than 6 1/2, but the shorter distance figures to give us some extra help with the pace.”

Garter and Tie, like Gladiator King, has had one start since the Roar, finishing a fast-closing second behind Royal Squeeze when taking on older horses for the first time in the seven-furlong Big Drama here on May 11.

“He’s definitely a one-turn horse,” said Nicks in reference to the homebred Garter and Tie, whom he trains for Jacks or Better Farm. “And I think he’s best from seven furlongs to a mile. He broke his maiden going seven furlongs and won his only other race at a mile.”

Nicks was referring to Garter and Tie’s maiden win in the seven-furlong Affirmed division of the Florida Sire Stakes series last summer and his neck victory in the one-mile Smooth Air to cap his juvenile campaign. Garter and Tie is winless in five starts at 3, with two of those losses coming against graded stakes company at route distances this winter at Gulfstream in the Grade 2 Holy Bull at 1 1/16 miles and Grade 1 Florida Derby at 1 1/8 miles.

Gladiator King, who also wanted no part of two turns in both the Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth, registered a pair of stakes wins prior to his near miss in the six-furlong Chick Lang. He began the modest streak registering a major upset over the odds on Federal Case in the Grade 3 Hutcheson before coming back to outlast Garter and Tie in the Roar. Jamie Mejia trains Gladiator King for the Thoroughbred Champions Training Center.

The speedy Leaky Cup figures to keep Gladiator King honest during the early stages of the Ocala, having led at the quarter- and half-mile calls in each of his last five starts. Three of those races ended in wire-to-wire victories for the former $20,000 claimer, although he is coming off a second-place finish the 1-5 favorite under mid-level starter allowance conditions on May 5.

Seismic Jolt has lured leading rider Edgard Zayas off Leaky Cup for his first start since finishing sixth following an eventful start in the Grade 3 Swale on Feb. 2. Seismic Jolt won the restricted Limehouse Stakes from just off the pace in impressive fashion in his 3-year-old debut on Jan. 5.

Cafe Du Monde, who finished third with an even effort in the Roar, Rayo My King, and Running for Riz complete the field.