Reagan's Odyssey should have target in stretch

Since returning in September from a two-month break, Reagan’s Odyssey has been in the best recent form of her career. The 6-year-old mare has a win, two seconds, and a third in her last four starts, and there’s every reason to think her good work will continue in the ninth race Wednesday at Gulfstream Park.

Reagan’s Odyssey is among eight fillies and mares entered to run a mile on turf in the first-level Florida-bred allowance, which has a $16,000 claiming option and a $40,000 purse. A ninth entrant, Queen Nekia, will run only if the race is transferred to the main track.

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Reagan’s Odyssey, trained by Marcus Vitali, has been running in optional claimers or $16,000 claimers on the turf at Gulfstream and across town at Gulfstream West. She runs well at either track, but seems to have a special fondness for Gulfstream, where she won a $16,000 claiming race by 5 3/4 lengths on Sept 20 and ended third, beaten two lengths, at the same level Dec. 2 in her last start. Six of her seven wins have come at Gulfstream.

Reagan’s Odyssey usually stalks the pace, and she should get a sweet trip under Leonel Reyes behind a couple of speed horses.

Shes Dynomite figures to present Reagan’s Odyssey with a target in the stretch. She has proved uncatchable in three of her last five races, including a 3 3/4-length score over $8,000 claimers going a mile at Gulfstream Park West a month ago. Trainer Jorge Navarro bumps her up into the optional-claiming ranks off that win, and into a spot where she is not eligible to be claimed.

Shes Dynomite is an obvious danger if she can clear the field under Nik Juarez, but she might have competition for the lead in the form of Dahlonega. Trained by Monte Brinsley, Dahlonega has made seven starts – all at five furlongs. She has gone wire to wire twice in turf sprints, and you have to think she’ll show high speed stretching out to a mile.

Hera showed some ability in New York over the summer and into fall. She won a $50,000 claiming route for 3-year-old fillies on the turf at Belmont in June, and ran second in a similar race at Saratoga in July. Trainer John Kimmel claimed Hera from the Saratoga race. In her lone start for him, she closed ground to finish fourth in a starter allowance on the Belmont turf on Oct. 7.

No Trespassing has been racing with allowance horses at Laurel, Penn National, and Monmouth. Anabella Queen has been right there with this kind in several races this year, but her record of one win and six seconds in 12 starts makes her hard to back with confidence.