Page McKenney tops well-matched group in Harlan's Holiday

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The amazing Page McKenney returns to south Florida for just the second time in his long career when he takes on eight rivals in Saturday’s $100,000 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The Harlan’s Holiday is one of five Grade 3 stakes on Saturday’s 11-race program, which is scheduled to begin at noon Eastern.

Page McKenney has earned more than $1.7 million since being claimed for $16,000 in 2013, and gives no indication of slowing down just two weeks shy of his eighth birthday.

Campaigned by Adam Staple and the Jalin Stable, Page McKenney has won four of his eight starts at 7, all stakes, although he did have his streak of 28 in-the-money finishes snapped when a troubled fourth behind Fear the Cowboy in the West Virginia Governor’s Stakes earlier this season. Fear the Cowboy is among the eight horses entered in the Harlan’s Holiday, although he was also cross-entered Saturday at Fair Grounds in the Tenacious Stakes.

Page McKenney also finished out of the money in his most recent outing, a fifth as the 5-2 favorite in the Richard Small Stakes at Laurel on Nov. 11. Trainer Mary Eppler is still scratching her head trying to figure out what might have caused her star’s uncharacteristic behavior prior to the race.

“He just wasn’t himself that day, he didn’t want to come to the paddock,” said Eppler. “And I’ve never seen him do that before. But he’s doing real well at the moment and really seems to like it down here.”

Page McKenney’s first visit to Gulfstream Park came three years ago when he rallied from far back to finish a close second in the Claiming Crown Jewel.

“He had the 12 post that day and it kind of hurt him,” Eppler said. “He got shuffled back going into the first turn and ended up too far behind the leaders. He is comfortable running from just about any place, but I don’t expect to see him that far back on Saturday.”

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The majority of the speed in the Harlan’s Holiday field will break inside Page McKenney, who will begin from post 5 under his regular rider Horacio Karamanos. In post position order, that group comprises Richard the Great, Mr. Jordan, Destin, and Conquest Big E.

Richard the Great finished a distant second behind Mr. Jordan last month in the Sunshine Millions Classic Preview at Gulfstream Park West, but is expected to improve off that race, his first start around two turns.

Mr. Jordan was dominant in the Classic Preview while notching his second win in seven starts this season, although he finished far behind Page McKenney when the pair met six weeks earlier at Parx in the Pennsylvania Derby Champion Stakes. Mr. Jordan is winless in eight starts over the local strip.

Destin gets some class relief after sandwiching a victory in the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Marathon between fifth- and sixth-place finishes in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup and Clark Handicap for leading trainer Todd Pletcher. The Harlan’s Holiday will be his first try against Grade 3 competition since he captured the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs during the winter of 2016.

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Flatlined will return to dirt for the first time in 14 starts, although he’s won over the surface and has worked well over the main track here twice since arriving last month from Kentucky. Flatlined won the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale over the turf here last winter.

Fear the Cowboy, trained by Efrain Loza Jr., has started six times at six different venues since winning the Grade 3 Skip Away here in March. Gulfstream, however, appears to be his favorite surface with his three-length victory in the Skip Away his third win in five local starts.

Joshua’s Comprise and supplemental nominee Frammento complete the well-matched lineup.