Piloting to make first start for Casse in Wednesday feature

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It’s been nearly two years since Piloting won his first and only race here at Gulfstream Park in the spring of 2014. Chances are he’s finally going to win his second race over this track as the likely favorite against seven rivals in the $43,000 allowance/optional-claiming feature.

There will be eight races on Wednesday’s card, which begins with a carryover of $32,146 in the Super Hi-5 and includes a $26,628 carryover in the Rainbow 6.

Piloting was shipped back to south Florida and into the barn of trainer Mark Casse following his fifth-place finish in an entry-level allowance race at Aqueduct on April 8. That marked the 10th time the son of Tapit failed to win at that level since graduation day. Piloting was trained by Michael Yates when he won his maiden two years ago but has been with Tom Bush since leaving the local area last spring. He did defeat midlevel conditioned claimers for Bush at Saratoga last August and was disqualified from an apparent victory for the same tag in his 4-year-old finale last December at Aqueduct.

Piloting tuned up for Wednesday’s one-mile assignment with an outstanding five-furlong work here May 10. He completed the distance in 59 seconds before galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.

Like Piloting, Hy Kodiak Warrior also earned his diploma as a 3-year-old here in 2013 but has gone winless in 11 subsequent starts. He too had a victory taken away by the stewards when he was disqualified and placed second behind the eventual graded-stakes winner East Hall under allowance conditions less than two weeks after graduation day.

Hy Kodiak Warrior has changed barns four times over the past two years. He is currently with trainer Antonio Sano, who’ll put blinkers back on for the first time since the horse’s seventh-place finish in the 2014 Tampa Bay Derby.

A couple of improving and lightly raced horses, Titanium Heart and Kris the Great, could have a say in the outcome while exiting their maiden wins. Of the pair, Titanium Heart, the lone 3-year-old in the field, is the most intriguing after rallying to a convincing 1 3/4-length decision when racing on dirt for the first time after launching his career with four consecutive starts on grass.

Key Contenders

Piloting, by Tapit

Last 3 Beyers: 85-80-79

◗ Despite finishing fifth in his New York finale, the veteran earned the highest Beyer Speed Figure of his 18-race career after making a big middle move into a very fast pace in a race dominated by wire-to-wire winner Sioux.

Hy Kodiak Warrior, by Kodiak Kowboy

Last 3 Beyers: 80-87-68

◗ His best Beyer, an 87, came two starts back going seven furlongs here, a race in which he ran along the rail, which was the deeper part of the track that day, for the entire stretch run.

Titanium Heart, by Tale of the Cat

Last 3 Beyers: 77-69-74

◗ Gives a lot away to this field on both experience and from a Beyer standpoint, but he could really benefit from the pace flow with a good bit of speed signed on. Might come running late at a big price in his current form.