R Free Roll takes her speed to turf
The $60,000 Tiger Lily Handicap is the jewel of the three stakes races being held Saturday at Gulfstream Park. After all, the five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares drew 15 horses – 14 can start – compared to the seven-horse fields in the $60,000 Parrot Key for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs and the $60,000 Tangelo Handicap for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs.
Trained by Kirk Ziadie, R Free Roll is the one to beat in the Tiger Lily. She has never raced on turf, but her dam, Jewels N Gems, won a couple of five-furlong stakes on turf for Ziadie – the $50,000 Bob Slater at Gulfstream and the $75,000 Lightning City at Tampa Bay. She should take to the new surface if the expected rains hold off.
If the race is washed off and moved to the main track, R Free Roll figures to be heavily favored. She won the Grade 2 Honorable Miss running over a sloppy track at Saratoga last summer, and she is coming off a sharp front-running win in the $60,000 Orange Blossom Handicap on April 4 at Gulfstream.
R Free Roll drew post 7, from where Edgard Zayas figures to put her substantial speed to good use.
KEY CONTENDERS
RACE 8 (TIGER LILY)
R Free Roll (Last 3 Beyers: 88-88-92)
◗ In her two races over sloppy surfaces she won the Grade 2 Honorable Miss and finished second in the $400,000 Charles Town Oaks. She still looks like the one to beat if it stays on the grass, but, she does become vulnerable.
DRF Formulator Fact: The past five years Ziadie has a 9 percent strike rate with horses running on turf for the first time.
Little Michelle (Last 3 Beyers: 80-72-73)
◗ Trained by Carlo Vaccarezza, she came from well back to edge Fascinante by a nose in the $60,000 Gracie Handicap for her second straight win going five furlongs on turf. She should have another honest pace to work with here.
RACE 4 (PARROT KEY)
Grande Shores (Last 3 Beyers: 90-105-97)
◗ He will try to make amends after finishing second to City of Weston as the heavy chalk in the $60,000 Blue Heron on April 23.
◗ Trained by Stanley Gold, he may have bounced after posting a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure when he lost by a neck to Grade 2 winner Valid in the Grade 3 Fred Hooper.
Trev (Last 3 Beyers: 94-82-62)
◗ The 94 Beyer he earned for his win in a $25,000 optional-starter race May 6 is the top last-race figure in the field.
◗ He is trained by Ziadie, who is winning races at an impressive 59 percent clip at the meet.
RACE 9 (TANGELO)
Huasca (Last 3 Beyers: 86-87-67)
◗ Trained by Efran Loza Jr., she improved dramatically in her last two starts, winning a $75,000 optional claimer for fun April 18 at Gulfstream and then finishing second in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness on May 15 at Pimlico.
R Sassy Lass (Last 3 Beyers: 85-84-71)
◗ Another live one trained by Ziadie, she just missed in the Grade 3 Old Hat on Jan. 3 at Gulfstream and then looked good winning a $75,000 stakes for Florida-breds going seven furlongs April 4 at Tampa Bay.