Red Rifle expected to come out running

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Red Rifle, winless since upsetting the Grade 2 Bowling Green Handicap at Saratoga during the summer of 2015, returns to the races for the first time in more than eight months as one of the favorites in Friday’s $50,000 allowance feature, to be run at 1 1/8 miles on the turf.

Red Rifle, a 7-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway who is less than $43,000 shy of $1 million in career earnings, has not started since finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Dominion Day at Woodbine last July. A multiple graded stakes winner, Red Rifle also finished seventh in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Turf.

“He’s doing nicely, the time off served him well,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains Red Rifle for WinStar Farm and Twin Creeks Racing. “He’s a seasoned veteran and a very versatile horse who’s run well on three different surfaces and who usually shows up and gives a big effort every time. It’s been a while since he’s run, but he’s the type of horse who puts a lot into his training, and I expect him to be fit enough to turn in a big effort on Friday, while at the same time feeling like he’s probably going to improve moving forward with a race under his belt.”

Red Rifle, who has posted two of his seven wins on grass, including the Bowling Green, will break from the rail, and Pletcher expects him to be a pace factor.

“He’s won on the lead and from off the pace, but being fresh, he’ll probably show speed, and if he’s not the pacesetter, I expect him to be awfully close to it,” said Pletcher, who has named Javier Castellano to ride.

Red Rifle faces a solid group in the ninth race on an 11-race card, including the Grade 2-placed Jay Gatsby and the hard-knocking Ice Cutter.

Jay Gatsby, the runner-up to Heart to Heart in the Grade 3 Knickerbocker last fall at Belmont Park, endured a very eventful trip when finishing eighth in the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale here on Jan. 14. Jay Gatsby has finished worse than second just once in five starts at nine furlongs.

Ice Cutter makes his first start since being haltered for $62,500 by trainer Charles Dickey for owner Richard Bahde out of a second-place finish behind the Grade 1-placed Highland Sky here just two weeks ago.

Pletcher also will send out the undefeated 3-year-old filly Nonna Bella in a seven-furlong, entry-level allowance dash (race 4) on Friday. Nonna Bella led throughout to win her only start, lasting for a neck decision over Salty while going 6 1/2 furlongs on Feb. 4. Salty flattered the effort with an impressive maiden win here last Sunday. Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty, is the younger sister of Grade 1 Wood Memorial winner Outwork and stakes winner Nonna’s Boy.

“I was very pleased with her debut, and the fact the second-place finisher just came back to win only confirmed it was a high-quality maiden race,” said Pletcher. “I’m looking forward to running her again. She’s the type of filly who also gives us the impression the further she goes, the better, so I think stretching her out is going to do her good, especially since she is a half-sister to a Wood Memorial winner.”

A likely heavy favorite Friday, Nonna Bella will meet five rivals, led by Worth Avenue, the only multiple winner in the field. The others are Ascertain, Corporate Queen, My Cousin Martha, and the speedy White Gold.