Post 12 a concern for Charlie the Boss

Charlie the Boss will have to overcome more than his 11 rivals when he races in Friday’s fifth race at Gulfstream Park, a first-level allowance with a $35,000 claiming condition at 1 1/16 miles on turf. He will also have also have to overcome drawing the outside, post 12.

This puts Charlie the Boss at risk of a wide trip, though he does at least have the natural speed to help offset his unlucky draw. But even so, jockey Edgard Zayas may have to ask a little more of him early to help clear much of the inside traffic.

Beyond post position, most factors are in Charlie the Boss’s favor. He drops in class, coming off a third-place finish in the English Channel Stakes, and makes his third start off a layoff – often the peak race of a horse’s form cycle.

A 3-year-old son of Street Boss owned by Carlos Oyolo and trained by Daniel Pita, Charlie the Boss races against some older horses Friday, while the English Channel Stakes was restricted to 3-year-olds.

His chief opponents appear to be five-time winners Empire Builder and Brother Pat – both older horses racing for $35,000 claiming tags – and recent winners and fellow 3-year-olds Steel N Pack and Dustymour.

◗ Outside posts at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Gulfstream since March 1: Post 12 is 0 for 12, and even if Charlie the Boss moves in a spot with a scratch, post 11 is 1 for 24 over the same time frame.

Notable Formulator facts

◗ Ralph Nicks, who trains maiden winner Steel N Pack, has won with 24 percent of maiden graduates trying winners for the first time over the past five years with a $3.98 return on investment.

◗ Brother Pat was just claimed for $25,000 by trainer Reid Nagle, who has a negative long-term record with first-off-the-claim runners. He is 3 for 29 (10 percent) over the past five years, with an ROI of $1.24. However, 11 of those 29 did crack the top three, good for a much more respectable 38 percent rate.

Hot jockeys this month

◗ No one has won more than Zayas, who is 16 for 63 since July 1 at Gulfstream. That translates to a 25 percent win clip, and with 23 other mounts finishing second or third, he has a 62 percent in-the-money record. His winners were heavily backed, resulting in a paltry ROI of $1.39.

◗ Jockeys who won less but returned more at the mutuel windows were Jesus Rios (5 for 26 with a $2.58 ROI), and Arny Fontanez (5 for 34), who had some large-priced winners that resulted in a July ROI of $2.64.