Pay Any Price to show the way in Crystal River Stakes

A couple of turf stakes for 3-year-olds and up share the spotlight at Gulfstream Park on Monday, and they shape up completely different in size, scope, and complexity.

First up is the $75,000 Crystal River, where Pay Any Price figures to be a short price in the five-furlong dash that drew six horses. It goes as race 5 on an 11-race program that begins at 1:15 p.m. Eastern.

The $60,000 Home of the Brave isn’t as straightforward. Of the 11 horses entered in the wide-open event, Montclair is the only one with a victory at the marathon 1 1/2-mile distance. However, in his latest start, the 9-year-old Irish-bred finished a dull sixth as the favorite in a $16,000 starter allowance with a $25,000 claiming option April 28. The Home of the Brave is restricted to horses who have started for a claiming price. It goes as race 9 at 5:34 p.m.

Pay Any Price has won seven sprint stakes on turf in his 27-race career and romped in the Crystal River last year for trainer Ralph Ziadie. A son of Wildcat Heir, the classy Florida-bred may have lost a step as a 9-year-old but has run well in both of his starts this year for trainer Georgina Baxter. He took them all the way in a $16,000 starter allowance with a $25,000 claiming option Feb. 8, and his third-place finish in the $75,000 Silks Run on March 9 was elevated when the winner, Imprimus, repeated in the Grade 2 Shakertown at Keeneland.

Pay Any Price will be tough to reel in if he breaks alertly from post three with Emisael Jaramillo riding.

Mr French has improved since claimed for $8,000 by trainer Marcial Navarro on Oct. 25. The 5-year-old son of Mr. Sidney won his next three starts before finishing third in a $62,500 optional claimer with myriad conditions April 12.

Trainer Jorge Navarro is hoping the addition of blinkers will help Singandcryindubai stay more focused than when he went over the rail soon after the start in the same race Mr French exits. In his previous outing, he finished fourth in the Silks Run.

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◗ Shana Tov will receive a lot of support in the Home of the Brave. With a couple of wins and a runner-up finish in the $100,000 Not Surprising last July, the Kentucky-bred son of Algorithms had a productive 3-year-old season for trainer Ralph Nicks. The Not Surprising was Shana Tov’s final start as a sophomore, and he resurfaced at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 12, winning a first-level allowance race going 1 1/8 miles on turf for trainer Bernardo Lopez.

In his only other start this year, Shana Tov rallied to win a second-level allowance race with a $32,000 claiming option Feb. 9. He proved he can fire fresh with his victory coming off a lengthy layoff Jan. 12, and figures to be rolling late with leading rider Edgard Zayas aboard for the first time.

Salute the Colonel will appreciate the class relief after finishing last in the Grade 2 Pan American, where he was trying 12 furlongs for the first time. He usually does his best running late, but he was a bit rank while pressing the pace in the Pan American. If jockey Jairo Rendon can get him to settle early, he could have a big say in the outcome.

The Joseph Orseno trainee is looking for his first win since he captured the $100,000 Soldier’s Dancer last June.