Pair of allowance races top Gulfstream card

Back-to-back $39,000 allowance races anchor a 10-race card at Gulfstream Park, as another four-day week resumes Thursday at the south Florida track.

Carded as the eighth and ninth races, both carry a first-level restriction and a competitive look, with the eighth scheduled for five furlongs on turf and the ninth going as a one-turn mile on the main track.

Not surprisingly, the eighth sports speed aplenty, with Trev, Kulboyz, Running Alone, Santo Divino, Heat Star, and Guarimbero all likely to shove out toward the early lead. Unless one of those can shake clear at a critical point, things might set up for a stalker such as Determinato or Blue Sky Diver, while Full Moon’s Back will be among a handful looking to rally from well back. All in all, it’s a terrific handicapping exercise, assuming the race holds together on the grass.

The ninth drew a field of eight, with a Peachtree Stable filly named Georgia the most intriguing of the group. Hindered by problems at the gate in Southern California, the daughter of Tiz Wonderful will be making her first start Thursday for new trainer Marty Wolfson. She races without blinkers for the first time.

Post times for the co-features are 4:57 and 5:30 p.m. Eastern. Live streaming of the entire Gulfstream card is available at DRF.com.

Rainbow 6 at $50,000

One winner took down a windfall of $49,259 last Friday in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot wager at Gulfstream. A total of more than $62,000 was then wagered Saturday and Sunday in chasing what has become a standard $50,000 pool guarantee.

The pool guarantee remains $50,000 for Thursday, with the Rainbow 6 starting with race 5 (post 3:21).

Tackleberry fifth in return

City of Weston broke a nine-race losing streak Friday when he captured an allowance race that included Tackleberry, a 7-year-old multiple stakes winner making his first start in more than two years.

City of Weston, a 4-year-old gray colt trained by Antonio Sano, pulled away to win the six-furlong race by three lengths as the 17-10 favorite, while Tackleberry, clearly in need of a race, flashed early speed before fading to fifth. Trained by Luis Olivares, Tackleberry, a career earner of $915,252, typically has fared better at slightly longer distances.

3-year-olds on turf

While most of the racing world will be focused Saturday on a blockbuster Travers Day card at Saratoga, the Gulfstream feature will be the $75,000 Forty Niner, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds. Among the top nominees is Proud Azteca, the winner of the English Channel in June for trainer Mike Maker. Entries were to be drawn Wednesday.

Last Saturday, the filly counterpart to the Forty Niner, the Christmas Past, failed to attract a sufficient number of entries and was scrapped.

East Hall works

East Hall had his first breeze since winning the July 19 Ohio Derby, going five furlongs in 1:02.80 on Saturday at Gulfstream. Trainer Bill Kaplan told Gulfstream publicity that he is leaning toward running East Hall next in the $400,000 Super Derby on Sept. 6 at Louisiana Downs, although he is leaving open the possibility of staying home for the $75,000 Monarchos Stakes on Aug. 30.

Atreides, a flashy winner of his first two starts, both for Stonestreet Stables and Marty Wolfson, is foremost among the prospects for the one-mile Monarchos.

New team scores

Frank Calabrese and Mike Petro won their first race together as a new owner-trainer team when Indian Nate took the Sunday opener at Gulfstream at 2-5. After their first week together, Calabrese and Petro were 1 for 4, with their next starters coming Thursday with Laws of the City in the sixth and Nora in the Sky in the seventh.

Calabrese, a perennial leading owner for years in Chicago before moving his stable to Florida in 2011, has changed trainers frequently, with Kirk Ziadie and Rasharn Creque having preceded Petro.

Zayas still on top

Edgard Zayas continues to hold a slight lead over Ramsey Zimmerman atop the Gulfstream jockey standings as they pull away from the rest of the colony. Into Thursday, Zayas has ridden 37 winners at the meet, which started July 1, compared with 32 for Zimmerman. Next are Jesus Rios (16), Michael Ritvo (15), Abdiel Jaen (14), and Jose Valdivia Jr. (14).

◗ Sunday at Gulfstream was an absolute chalkfest, with nine favorites (the first four of them odds-on) winning the first 10 races prior to a $92 horse, Wild Kira, taking the 11th race by a nose.