Servis has two in puzzling turf-sprint feature

It wasn’t so far back in racing history when the “allowance ladder” had clearly defined steps: first level, second level, and so on. Now, the ladder metaphor has broken down. “Allowance thicket” might be a better term.

From the look of things, there appear to be three different conditions written into the featured seventh race Thursday at Gulfstream Park. And even that’s not enough, as four of the six fillies and mares in this five-furlong turf dash start under the race’s $62,500 claiming option. Bettors seeking class clarity won’t find that a great guide since none of the claiming quartet is especially proven for the price, and the two horses entered under allowance conditions don’t fit especially well either.

One might throw the conditions out the window and consider playing a strong, simple Gulfstream angle: horses trained by Jason Servis. Servis, at the meet that began April 6, has sent out 15 starters to compile an excellent 6-4-1 record. But even here there’s uncertainty since Servis has two in the Thursday feature, Simple Love and Sunrise Kitty.

Sunrise Kitty is the 9-5 morning-line favorite and not especially appealing at that price. She was fourth of eight when last seen nearly three months ago in the $75,000 Ladies’ Turf Sprint. Her claiming price Thursday is two to three times greater than the tag at which she seemed solid as recently as last summer. And at age 6, it’s hard to imagine Sunrise Kitty is some sort of new horse now.

Simple Love was a half-length behind Sunrise Kitty last fall at Belmont, but on bare form, she’s going to have all kinds of trouble getting home at a distance as short as Thursday’s.

The trip appears like it will suit fellow 6-year-old Spanish Concert, who doesn’t look entirely exposed on turf. She’s gotten just three tries on it, and while Spanish Concert’s form suggests something more like a $30,000 claimer than a $62,500 horse, by now one thing should be clear – no horse in this race fits it especially well.

Jockeys Edgard Zayas and Emisael Jaramillo dominated the weekend racing at Gulfstream, each winning 10 of the 21 races run on Saturday and Sunday. Zayas went 5 for 13, Jaramillo 5 for 12, and through Sunday’s races, the two were tied at 17 wins each atop the jockey standings for the meet that started April 6. Jaramillo, however, has gotten his 17 winners from 53 mounts compared with 88 for Zayas, and Jaramillo’s 32 percent strike rate has yielded a $2.99 ROI.

Shaft of Light, trained by Jorge Navarro, earned the highest Beyer Speed Figure at this new Gulfstream meet when his one-mile time of 1:35.95 last Thursday produced a 97 Beyer. Shaft Of Light, risked for a $12,500 claiming tag just three starts ago, won under first-level allowance conditions by more than 11 lengths.