Reagan's Odyssey gets chance to shine

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The Florida Derby and lots of quality racing are just ahead at Gulfstream Park, which helps to explain the penultimate Sunday card of the championship meet. A $44,000 allowance for Florida-breds is the best of 12 races that precede an important final week.

The Sunday feature is carded as race 11, with a field of just six statebred fillies and mares going a mile on turf. It’s part of the Rainbow 6, which spans races 7-12 and saw its jackpot tick past the $2 million mark Thursday.

Reagan’s Odyssey, eligible by way of a $16,000 claiming option appended to a one other than allowance condition, appears to have a decided edge over her five rivals in the feature. Claimed nine times during a 41-race career that began in September 2015, the handy 7-year-old mare has won seven times while finishing third or better in 25 of those races. She’ll have Nik Juarez aboard when she breaks from the outside post Sunday.

All but one of her opponents have won just once, with Oscura (post 1, Jose Batista) the lone exception. She was a last-out winner at 25-1 in a never-won-three conditioned-claiming race over the local course for trainer Juan Rizo.

After Sunday, Gulfstream goes dark for three days, with no racing here Wednesday because the Fasig-Tipton 2-year-old sale is being held on the grounds. Live action resumes Thursday. Florida Derby Day is Saturday, and a forceout of the Rainbow 6 pool is scheduled for the following day (March 31), closing day of the four-month meet. The spring-summer meet starts April 4.

First post Sunday is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

KEY CONTENDERS (race 11)

Reagan’s Odyssey, by Kantharos
Last 3 Beyers: 67-63-68

◗ On any other day, she would be “just a horse” lost amid more accomplished sorts, but this spot provides a rare chance to shine for a hard-knocking mare who has been claimed from her last three races and figures to be haltered again from this.

Oscura, by Admiral’s Cruise
Last 3 Beyers: 68-29-66

◗ A one-time winner from her first 27 starts, this 7-year-old held on desperately when clearing the N3L condition here five Sundays ago, marking her second win in three starts, and now faces open company for the first time in forever.

Pure One, by Macho Uno
Last 3 Beyers: 64-36-23

◗ This gray filly has struggled since coming into Joe Orseno’s barn, but she exits sprints and it does look like she’ll have the early lead. She’ll have Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard to try to max-out that circumstance.