Several capable of recapturing past glory in Benny the Bull

Former glory could restore itself in the Saturday feature at Gulfstream Park, although there’s a variety of ways in which that could happen.

Four of the eight Florida-breds in the $75,000 Benny the Bull were stakes winners at 2 and/or 3, but only one of them, With Distinction, has been able to win a stakes as an older horse. The other three – With Verve and the uncoupled Jacks or Better duo of Garter and Tie and Shivaree – are others whose back form suggests they’re capable of winning at this level once again, at least in the statebred ranks.

Garter and Tie, winner of the Affirmed and Smooth Air in 2018 and the Ocala in 2019, and Shivaree, winner of the Buffalo Man and Limehouse in a five-week span during the winter of 2019-20, both will be saddled by Ralph Nicks, looking to end prolonged droughts in the seven-furlong Benny the Bull. Both have earned slightly more than $440,000.

“They both have talent on the right day,” said Nicks. “I think this is a very competitive race and there’s a lot of horses with the ability to win. It’s a matter of who shows up Saturday.”

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Well Defined, a 5-year-old owned and trained by Kathleen O’Connell, has a field-high bankroll of $688,647, much of it earned by winning the In Reality at 2, the Sam F. Davis at 3, and the Big Drama in May. Whether the speedy gelding can withstand up-front pressure from quick opponents such as Pro Quality, Travy Boy, and the newly gelded Untitled is a central issue in handicapping this race. A pace meltdown likely would tilt the outcome in favor of either Nicks trainee or With Verve, another capable stretch runner who upset the Hutcheson last year at 3.

As with all stakes at 1/ST tracks, there is no Lasix permitted in the Benny the Bull. Shivaree is the only one of the eight who did not race on Lasix in his latest start.

First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern, with the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (races 6-11) starting at 3:40 and the Benny the Bull going as race 10 at 5:56. The race name is a tribute to the Florida-bred foal of 2003 who earned more than $2.35 million by winning nine of 20 career starts for three different trainers. His five-race win streak in 2007-08 included the De Francis Dash and Dubai Golden Shaheen for Rick Dutrow.

A pool guarantee of at least $250,000 can be expected for the Rainbow 6, which was last forced out July 31.

Preceding the Rainbow 6 is the Aventura (race 4, 2:32), a $60,000 overnight handicap for 3-year-olds going a one-turn mile on the main track. A field of six is entered, with Papetu, a last-out winner of the July 10 Carry Back off a 3 1/2-month layoff, sure to be favored when racing on Lasix for the first time. Trained by Antonio Sano for Magic Stables, Papetu was a fringe player on the Florida Derby trail earlier this year, finishing second in the Mucho Macho Man, fourth in the Holy Bull, and third in the Fountain of Youth.

The Saturday forecast calls for a 100 percent chance of rain in the Hallandale Beach area, and five of the races are scheduled for turf (races 3, 5, 7, 9, 11).

The three-day race week runs through Sunday. Gulfstream is racing on an abbreviated schedule while construction of the Tapeta course continues.