Ramsey finds a perfect spot for Degree of Risk to break through
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Degree of Risk doesn’t win often, but that doesn’t make him much different from the horses he faces in Thursday’s second-level allowance/optional $62,500 claiming feature at Gulfstream Park. What Degree of Risk does have going for him however, is a recent run of races that appear to his best from a speed-figure standpoint.
A repeat of his recent runs and a turnback to one mile may be what Degree of Risk needs to propel him back to the winner’s circle.
Degree of Risk’s last win came going one mile at Kentucky Downs in September in what was his first start for trainer Nolan Ramsey. Believing he wanted more ground, Ramsey ran him 1 1/8 miles at Keeneland, where Degree of Risk showed that he did not want more ground, flattening out to sixth.
In his quest to turn Degree of Risk back in distance, Ramsey found a race at one mile and 70 yards over Gulfstream’s Tapeta track, where he finished third, beaten 3 3/4 lengths by Yamato, an 11-time winner.
“Not that he ran a bad race he, he caught a couple of good horses,” Ramsey said. “I still liked him better on the turf.”
Degree of Risk returned to run on Dec. 28 where he had a wide trip throughout but showed some determination to finish third, two lengths behind the Ramsey-trained longshot Eldest Son and Unit Economics.
“The way the book fell it was a mile and a sixteenth last time, he showed up,” Ramsey said. “It wasn’t the best of trips.
“Looking at this race, I’m excited to get him to a mile on grass which is his strong suit,” Ramsey said. “The way he drew, the way the race sets up on paper, no excuses for him. He’s training beautifully, hopefully at a mile we can get him home.”
Degree of Risk will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, who was aboard him in June, when he finished third behind Zverev in a 1 1/16-mile allowance at Churchill. Zverev was entered in this spot, but on Monday trainer Cherie DeVaux indicated that horse is unlikely to run.
Royal Majesty is making his 4-year-old debut and dropping into allowance company after five consecutive stakes appearances. The regally bred son of Frankel, did win his maiden at Gulfstream in January 2024 and won an allowance at Keeneland in April. He is 0 for 3 at one mile, but he did finish second to Donegal Momentum in the Gio Ponti Stakes at that trip in October at Aqueduct.
The wild card in the field is Activist Investing, who has not run since a seventh-place finish in the Grade 3 Virginia Derby in September 2023. Trainer Chad Brown certainly has enjoyed success bringing horses back off year-plus layoffs. The horse has never run shorter than 1 1/16 miles.
The 7-year-old Public Sector returns from a November layoff for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Public Sector, previously trained by Chad Brown, won 5 of his first 9 starts but is 1 for 20 since.
Union Trail, trained by Barclay Tagg, and Drum Roll Please, trying turf for the first time and drawn outside, could be the main speed in the field.
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