Pass Key faces statebreds for first time in sprint feature
The 5-year-old Pass Key will be racing in the Florida-bred ranks for the first time in his career Thursday, when he starts as a chief contender in the featured seventh race at Gulfstream Park. An optional $12,500 claiming sprint over six furlongs, the race carries first-level allowance conditions and is for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up.
Pass Key is part of a nine-horse field that also includes Colormepompom, who comes off a runner-up finish at this level, and Guarimbero, who makes a rare start on the main track after hooking Fast Anna last out in the $60,000 Sawgrass Handicap.
First post Thursday is 1 p.m. Eastern.
KEY CONTENDERS
Pass Key (Last 3 Beyers: 76-84-80)
◗ He has made 12 career starts, all against open-company rivals dating back to his debut in May 2014.
◗ Pass Key has won five races during that time, with four of those victories coming at Gulfstream Park.
◗ Pass Key’s last win came April 3, when he captured an optional $10,000 claimer at six furlongs at Gulfstream with a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 97.
◗ Pass Key has tactical speed and might get an ideal trip behind a handful of rivals, including Go Bernie Go, C D Gold, Guarimbero, and Take Time to Pray.
◗ Luca Panici has the mount for trainer Cecil Paul.
Colormepompom (Last 3 Beyers: 79-71-51)
◗ He’s a 3-year-old facing older rivals, but in two starts against such competition he has fired competitive races. Colormepompom was third in an optional $12,500 claimer against open company May 21, then returned to run second at this level in his most recent out June 11.
◗ Colormepompom owns the field’s best last-race Beyer, a 79, for finishing a length back in second at 26-1 on June 11.
◗ Apprentice Tyler Gaffalione has the mount for trainer Terri Pompay.
Guarimbero (Last 3 Beyers: 52-55-62)
◗ He’s moving off the turf for the first time since his career debut last June, when he was fifth in a $32,000 maiden-claiming sprint at Calder. One start later, he won his maiden on turf at Gulfstream, with a career-high Beyer of 80.
◗ Guarimbero dueled through quick early fractions in the Sawgrass on June 11 before finishing sixth to Fast Anna, the runner-up in last year’s Grade 1 King’s Bishop who was making his first start since finishing a close fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
C D Gold (Last 3 Beyers: 76-61-64)
◗ He has been flattered since winning a $12,500 claiming race in his last start May 8 at Gulfstream. The third-place finisher, Pontos, came back in his next start to win at the same level with a Beyer of 83, and the eighth-place finisher, Donegal Hall, returned to win a $6,250 conditioned claimer. Both horses won back at Gulfstream.