Sailor's Valentine returns from long break in sprint allowance

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Three allowances dot a 13-race Sunday card that brings another eventful week at Gulfstream Park to a close, but only one of them got a Grade 1 winner.

Sailor’s Valentine, the winner of the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland last April, will make her first start in 10 months when she faces six other fillies and mares in the ninth race, a $52,000 second-level allowance at six furlongs. The gray daughter of Mizzen Mast has not raced since finishing sixth behind Abel Tasman in the Kentucky Oaks.

“She had some minor physical issues, and we opted to give her all the time she needed after the Oaks,” said Eddie Kenneally, who trains Sailor’s Valentine for Semaphore Racing and Homewrecker Stable. “I guess we’d have preferred to run her a bit longer than six furlongs, but this is what came up for her, and we’re eager to get started.”

Sailor’s Valentine has had eight workouts at the Palm Meadows training center since early January.

“She’s breezed on schedule all the way through,” said Kenneally. “She’s a big, heavy filly. She’ll run well Sunday, and I’m sure she’ll benefit a lot from it.”

Javier Castellano will be aboard Sailor’s Valentine when she breaks from post 2. Her strongest opposition could come from another comebacker, Run and Go (post 6, John Velazquez), who has been regrouped by Todd Pletcher at Palm Beach Downs since being virtually eased in the Nov. 24 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct. Luz Mimi (post 3, Jose Ortiz) and Nikki Bella (post 7, Emisael Jaramillo) are among the fringe players.

The ninth-race feature is part of a Rainbow 6 sequence that spans races 8-13. The Rainbow 6 jackpot stood at $1,989,050 into Friday action.

The other Sunday allowances, both first-level races with $51,000 purses, are carded as races 3 and 12. First post is noon Eastern, with the last race set for 6:06.

After Sunday, Gulfstream goes dark for two days before another five-day week resumes Wednesday, when a 10 percent purse increase for overnight races will go into effect for the duration of the championship meet.

◗ Gulfstream officials have been discussing whether they will hold another mandatory dispersal of the Rainbow 6 pool in the near future. Nearly $20 million was paid out with the last dispersal on Jan. 28. A final dispersal will occur when the championship meet ends April 1.