Outside post ups the challenge for Mal Guapo in Claiming Crown Iron Horse

The Iron Horse is the epitome of Claiming Crown ideals. Restricted to horses who have competed under a claiming tag of $8,000 or less at any point in their careers, the Iron Horse invariably showcases those who have improved in remarkable fashion in far surpassing those modest expectations.

For this 2017 renewal at Gulfstream Park in south Florida, the $110,000 Iron Horse once again has brought together a mélange of older horses with battle scars aplenty. The Iron Horse and its female counterpart, the $110,000 Glass Slipper, drew capacity fields of 14, many of them with interesting back stories to go along with their strong recent form.

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Iron Horse (race 6)

Mal Guapo, locally based with trainer Oscar Gonzalez, shows up in the past performances of several other Iron Horse starters as winner of the Nov. 5 prep for this race at Gulfstream West. But he has drawn post 14 in this 1 1/16-mile race going two turns, mitigating his chances in what shapes up as a real handicapping jumble.

Lieutenant Seany O and Rich Daddy both carry the look of major contenders after pinning losses on each other in back-to-back races this fall in Kentucky. Rich Daddy, with Corey Lanerie riding for Eddie Kenneally, won a second-level allowance in the most recent of those meetings and might well settle in as a tepid wagering favorite in this spot.

Other logical considerations include Twocubanbrothersu, a well-traveled 7-year-old with 19 wins and 10 seconds from 48 career starts; Social Stranger, a consistent 5-year-old entered off a nice string of efforts in the Mid-Atlantic; and Chiseled, who comes well prepared for this by Peter Walder with three breezes since his last start.

The Iron Horse long has been symbolic of the Claiming Crown brand and in fact was the traditional lead-off race during the first few years of the series at Canterbury Park when restricted to $5,000 starter horses.

Glass Slipper (race 2)

As the first of nine Claiming Crown events on a Saturday card that starts at noon Eastern, the Glass Slipper should not disappoint in establishing a frenzied tone for the day. Its full gate of fillies and mares going a one-turn mile is filled with equine diversity, both in geographical background and running styles.

Mended, a speedy 4-year-old filly trained by John Martin, brings a flashy nine-race win streak to this race, and therefore likely will come favored, but it’s unlikely she and jockey Ricardo Gonzalez will lack for company during the long backstretch run. Several of her opponents exit shorter races and could be flashing more speed than normal, including Delusional K K, a well-timed recent claim by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, and the Loooch Racing-owned Moonshine Promise.

If in fact things fall apart up front and Mended finds herself in deep water in the final furlong, look for Sugar Cube to come with the most effective run. Pointed to the Claiming Crown for months by owner-trainer Rick Hiles, Sugar Cube had been first or second in a remarkable 16 straight races before finishing fourth in a two-turn allowance last month at Churchill.

Other intriguing prospects include Star Eighty, despite a layoff of nearly nine months; Ventina, a winner of three of her last four, including the local Claiming Crown prep on Nov. 8; and Battle Tale, regrouped and refreshed by Jorge Navarro.

The Glass Slipper, which makes reference to Cinderella-type overachievers, is restricted to horses who have been risked for a claiming price of $12,500 or less since Jan. 1, 2016.