Ride a Comet returns to grass with Tropical Turf win

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The versatile Ride a Comet made a successful return to what certainly appears to be his preferred surface, grass, by rallying from just off the pace to a half-length victory over the Grade 1-placed Casa Creed in Saturday’s $100,000 Tropical Turf at Gulfstream Park.

The Tropical Turf served as the penultimate leg of the Rainbow 6, which featured a mandatory payout of a pool that started with more than a $1 million carryover. Ride a Comet was the only winning favorite in a sequence that returned $14.626.86 for all 6 winners.

Ride a Comet appeared destined to become one of the leaders of the turf division during the summer of his 3-year-old season after winning the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby in September 2018. But tendon issues sent Ride a Comet to the sidelines for the next 26 months, with the son of Candy Ride finally returning last fall to register two impressive victories over the polytrack at Woodbine that included a near-record-setting performance in winning the Grade 2 Kennedy Road in his 2020 finale.

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Back on grass for the first time since the Del Mar Derby, Ride a Comet settled within easy striking distance of the pacesetting Frostmourne during the early stages of the Grade 3 Tropical Turf. With Tyler Gaffalione aboard, Ride a Comet angled three wide to commence his bid into the stretch, finishing willing out near the center of the course to wear down Casa Creed in the final 70 yards. The latter, making his first start since a 12th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, also raced forwardly from the outset, overtook Frostmourne nearing the furlong marker, but could not resist the winner at the end. Frostmourne finished another 2 1/2 lengths farther back in third.

Ride a Comet is owned in partnership by John Oxley and My Meadowview Farm, and trained by Mark Casse. He ran a mile over the firm course in 1:33.62 and paid $6.20.

“He’s all class,” said Gaffalione, who rode Ride a Comet for the first time in the Tropical Turf. “Mark (Casse) was very excited coming into this race. And when I got to the paddock, all Nick (assistant Nick Tomlinson) said was ‘this is a good one.' They knew what they had and I rode him with confidence. The race set up just like I thought. The 5 (Frostmourne) and 7 (Tusk) set the pace and I figured I’d be able to follow the 2 (Casa Creed). I went around and luckily I had the horse to get there.”