Plesa tries to work layoff magic with Restofthestory

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Last Saturday, trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. brought Vow Me Now back from a prolonged layoff to not only win the afternoon’s finale, but set a track record. On Wednesday, Plesa will look to have similar success off the bench with another idled member of his troops. Restofthestory returns from nearly six months on the sidelines as the likely favorite in the featured ninth event, carded at six furlongs under entry-level allowance conditions for Florida-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Restofthestory has not been out since finishing a game second in the 1 1/16-mile My Dear Girl Stakes when stretching out around two turns for the first time Sept. 26. The start was just the third for the daughter of Jess’s Dream, who won her maiden in impressive fashion four weeks earlier with a wire-to-wire 5 3/4-length victory at 5 1/2 furlongs.

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Restofthestory broke from the rail and set a legitimate pace in the My Dear Girl, holding on tenaciously when engaged by the stakes-winning Princess Secret after six furlongs before dropping a neck decision to her vastly more experienced and accomplished rival. It was another 6 1/2 lengths back to third-place finisher Big Rings.

Restofthestory has had six works since returning to training for her 3-year-old campaign, including a stamina-enhancing one-mile breeze in 1:46.20 here March 5 and a sharp half-mile gate drill in 48.80 seconds with a five-furlong gallop-out of 1:02.40 one week later. Angel Arroyo, who rode Restofthestory in all three of her starts at 2, has the assignment once again.

Big Rings will get another shot at Restofthestory and is one of her five rivals in the main event Wednesday. Big Rings has changed barns and run twice since her third-place effort in the My Dear Girl, finishing fourth in the seven-furlong Gasparilla at Tampa Bay Downs in her 3-year-old debut and most recently eighth as the even-money favorite under statebred allowance conditions here four weeks ago.

Trained by Carlos David, Big Rings ran with blinkers on in her last two starts. She will compete without the equipment while reuniting with rider Emisael Jaramillo on Wednesday. Jaramillo rode Big Rings in her two starts last year.

Battle Cry is the only multiple winner in the field, having posted two victories in 11 starts, including a last-to-first two-length decision over $35,000 claiming foes one month ago. Twin Bridges, Mon Petit Chou, and Elliereeseaston complete the field.

◗ There will be a mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 pool on Saturday’s Florida Derby program. Entries for the Florida Derby, one of 10 stakes on the card, will be drawn and simulcast live on gulfstreampark.com at 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday.

◗ Junior Alvarado was the star of the show here Saturday, winning five races including a pair of stakes. Alvarado won aboard Pacific Gale in the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie and on Warrior’s Pride in the Texas Glitter. Alvarado has posted 49 victories during the Championship meet while making his first regular appearance here since winter 2009.