Sierra Leone and Domestic Product were the best 3-year-olds in trainer Chad Brown’s barn in 2024. They weren’t the only ones. Brown had promising 3-year-olds in Tuscan Gold and Malarchuk in the barn. Both had issues last spring that kept them off the track for the remainder of their 3-year-old seasons. Thursday, both Tuscan Gold and Malarchuk look to begin their 4-year-old campaigns in a first-level allowance/optional $25,000 claiming race going one mile that serves as the feature on Gulfstream Park’s nine-race card. Brown thought highly enough of Tuscan Gold to run him the Preakness Stakes for just his fourth career start last May. Tuscan Gold, a son of Medaglia d’Oro, went off the fourth choice in the field of eight and finished fourth, 9 1/2 lengths behind upset winner Seize the Grey. In subsequent training, it became evident Tuscan Gold was having trouble with his airway, something that Brown speculated might have actually started to happen between his last work before the Preakness but became more noticeable following the race. He underwent a surgical procedure known as a tie-back to help him to get his air. Thursday’s race, Tuscan Gold’s first since the Preakness, will be a test to see how well the procedure worked. :: Get Gulfstream Park Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the Clocker Team. Available every race day. “He exited [the Preakness] with a changed airway and within a couple of weeks after that it completely deteriorated,” Brown said. “We’re making the best of a bad situation with the tie-back. It seems to be holding and looking good now.” Tuscan Gold debuted in the same race at Aqueduct won by Sierra Leone in November 2023. Tuscan Gold had significant trouble in that race, ultimately finishing fourth. After a dominant maiden win going 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream in January 2024, Tuscan Gold finished a decent third behind Catching Freedom in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. Brown said the one-turn mile might be a little shorter than Tuscan Gold prefers but it’s a place to get started. “He’s a two-turn horse,” Brown said. Malarchuk, a son of Nyquist, won his maiden by 8 1/4 lengths going a one-turn mile in April at Aqueduct. Brown said Malarchuk developed a bad lung infection that forced him to the sidelines thereafter. Tyler Gaffalione rides Tuscan Gold from the rail while Dylan Davis is aboard Malarchuk from post 6. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. sends out the uncoupled pair of Who’s the King and God’s Timing. Who’s the King’s form has been poor, getting beat double-digit lengths in his last three starts of 2024 including an eighth-place finish in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby. God’s Timing won a first-level allowance at Tampa in his most recent start in December. Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Who’s the King while Patrick Husbands is named on God’s Timing. Timeout, seventh in the Pennsylvania Derby; Heartened, second in last May’s Long Branch Stakes; and the Chilean-bred The Thor, who makes his U.S. debut, complete the field. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.