Perchance staying in comfort zone in Any Limit Stakes
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – This is not one of those “big event” cards that have come to characterize the highest end of racing, but it should be a fun and eventful Saturday nonetheless at Gulfstream Park.
Three allowances and three maiden special weight races surround a pair of $75,000 stakes, the Any Limit and the Silks Run, during what should be an action-packed 12-race card.
Perchance, no longer a consideration for the Kentucky Oaks, is among a terrific field of seven 3-year-old fillies in the Any Limit, a six-furlong race that also drew a couple of exciting prospects in Taylor S and Dogwood Trail.
The Silks Run matches an outstanding lineup of older turf sprinters led by Amelia’s Wild Ride, Bold Thunder, and a fascinating Australian import, Power Alert.
Among the horses entered in the Saturday allowances are Vinceremos, who returns as a first-time gelding in race 5; Mrs McDougal, a flashy maiden romper facing winners for the first time in race 7; and Big Bazinga, a onetime classics hopeful making his first start in 11 months in race 10.
The next graded stakes here are the Grade 2 Inside Information and Grade 2 Royal Delta, both set for next Saturday, March 21. Florida Derby Day, the marquee day of the four-month championship meet, is March 28.
First post Saturday is 1 p.m. Eastern, with the Any Limit (race 4) set for 2:30 and the Silks Run (race 11) for 6 p.m.
ANY LIMIT S. (RACE 4)
KEY CONTENDERS
Perchance (Beyers: 95-61)
◗ Although this unbeaten filly was one of 23 separately listed interests in the recent Oaks future wager (she closed at 41-1), trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said he and owner Stonestreet Stables have agreed to take a more prudent approach by keeping her in shorter and less-demanding races for the immediate future.
◗ A visually impressive cakewalk in her December debut at Aqueduct was followed by a more hard-pressed score in a Jan. 22 optional claimer here, although she did earn a field-high 95 Beyer Speed Figure for that effort.
◗ She comes favorably drawn in the outside post with Joel Rosario to ride and figures to benefit from a comfortable stalking trip.
Taylor S (Last 3 Beyers: 80-94-64)
◗ No doubt she is the most battle-tested of this crew, having competed in three stakes already, the most recent resulting in a creditable third-place finish behind her Dale Romans stablemate, Birdatthewire, in the Grade 2 Forward Gal here seven weeks ago.
Dogwood Trail (Beyers: 92-NA)
◗ This Jacks or Better homebred has been untouchable in her two starts, easily winning her debut last May before returning from an eight-month layoff to dominate a Feb. 8 allowance here.
SILKS RUN S. (RACE 11)
KEY CONTENDERS
Amelia’s Wild Ride (Last 3 Beyers: 97-90-72)
◗ He was a 7-1 winner of the key prep toward this, the Gulfstream Turf Sprint on the Feb. 7 Donn Handicap undercard, after getting a perfect inside tracking trip. Rosario subs in for Jose Lezcano, one of three Gulfstream jockeys riding Saturday in Saudi Arabia (with Javier Castellano and Edgar Prado).
Bold Thunder (Last 3 Beyers: 92-101-85)
◗ This hard-knocking turf-sprint specialist faded to third as the favorite in the key Feb. 7 race for Patricia Farro, whose 0-for-70 skein at this championship meet came to a merciful end with a victory in the seventh race Wednesday.
Power Alert (Beyer: 96)
◗ This gray Australia-bred was highly impressive in his North American debut here in December when outfinishing Amelia’s Wild Ride for trainer Brian Lynch, who has sent the 5-year-old gelding through a series of impressive works at Palm Meadows in the interim.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Unhindered. Trainer Michael Trombetta is 18-6-3-3 with a $4.16 ROI over the past five years going turf to dirt in sprints following a layoff of 120 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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