Pletcher pair in sharp form for Sunshine Forever Stakes

The speed of Halladay and the closing kick of Social Paranoia give trainer Todd Pletcher a potent one-two punch in Saturday’s $75,000 Sunshine Forever Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The Sunshine Forever, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the turf, was scheduled to mark the return of Preakness winner War of Will to the races. However, trainer Mark Casse scratched War of Will from the race and will instead point him to the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita on May 25. Regally Irish and Just Whistle, the latter entered only for the main track, were also scratched from the Sunshine Forever.

It goes as race 9 on a 12-race card on which there is a mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6, which is on races 7 through 12.

Halladay, a 4-year-old son of War Front, is coming off a three-length, front-running victory in a stakes-caliber allowance race April 4, earning a career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure. He did it breaking from the outside post in a 10-horse field under Luis Saez. Saturday, he breaks from post 6 under Saez in a field that doesn’t appear to be speed-laden.

“I thought Luis got along with him very well,” Pletcher said. “We kind of wanted to ease our way into it and then he grabbed him in the middle part of the race. But Luis was able to keep him somewhat settled even though he was clicking along pretty fast fractions. He seems to have the ability to do that and keep going. . . . On this turf course you can sometimes show a little more speed and still hold on more than you can on some other ones. We’ll just let him run his race.”

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Social Paranoia, a 4-year-old son of Street Boss, made a smashing seasonal debut, rallying from last under Florent Geroux to win the Grade 3 Appleton on March 28. His 100 Beyer was a career-best. As a result, Social Paranoia has to carry top weight of 126 pounds – along with Woodbine Mile winner El Tormenta – thus spotting five to eight pounds to the field.

“If there would have been something at Churchill maybe we would have considered that,” Pletcher said. “Just felt like he’s doing too good not to run at the moment.”

Edgard Zayas rides Social Paranoia from post 9.

Admission Office shortens up following a second-place finish to Zulu Alpha in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida going 1 3/8 miles Feb. 29. While Admission Office has run well at 1 1/16 miles, trainer Brian Lynch noted that at shorter distances “he always seems to find a way to get himself into a jackpot.”

Lynch also said, going shorter, he’s hoping Admission Office will be a little more forwardly placed. He is reunited with Joel Rosario, the last jockey to have won on him 13 months ago.

Mike Maker sends out Aquaphobia, who won a claiming stakes at this course and distance in February and gets the services of Irad Ortiz Jr. Cullum Road, formerly trained by Maker, makes the first start of his 5-year-old season and first for trainer Ignacio Correas IV.