Silver Sashay cuts back for featured turf sprint
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – An unusually long race week at Gulfstream Park concludes Sunday with a pair of first-level, $48,000 allowance races highlighting a 12-race program.
Both are sprints for fillies and mares, with the eighth race going at seven furlongs on the main track and the 10th race scheduled for five furlongs on the turf.
Race 10 is positioned as the feature on a program that starts at 1 p.m. Eastern. There is no clear-cut choice in what should prove a wide-open wagering event, with Silver Sashay and Double the Energy likely to be among those drawing the most backing in the field of eight, half of whom are entered for the $25,000 claiming option.
Race 8 drew a decent mix of seven, with the Chad Brown-trained Artemis perhaps a slight favorite when aiming to rebound off a poor January comeback while turning back in distance and returning to the dirt.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Spyin Feelin. Trainer Reade Baker is 17-5-3-2 with a $2.92 ROI over the past five years with last-out maiden winners following a layoff of between 45 and 60 days. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 R U Dreaming. Trainer Jamie Ness is 21-8-2-1 with a $4.18 ROI over the past five years in sprints in the first start following a claim with jockey Luis Saez aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Sunday marks the sixth straight day of racing at Gulfstream, ending a week that started with a special Tuesday card for St. Patrick’s Day. After Sunday, the track goes dark for two days before Florida Derby week begins Wednesday.
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Key contenders
Silver Sashay (Last 3 Beyers: 76-65-80)
Clearly the shorter distance could be instrumental to her chances after she got leg weary on the lead in longer turf events in her first two appearances at this meet. A three-back attempt at Gulfstream West for this same condition resulted in a 9-1 upset.
Double the Energy (Last 3 Beyers: 66-75-68)
The gray mare was claimed by Marcus Vitali for this same $25,000 tag from her last start, which she probably needed when returning from a four-month layoff. She’ll add leading rider Javier Castellano, which always gets the bettors’ attention.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Double the Energy. Trainer Marcus Vitali is 6-0-0-0 over the past five years in turf sprints in the first start following a claim. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Mays Treasuretrove (Last 3 Beyers: 70-79-70)
Rail-drawn 7-year-old mare has been very steady in recent starts while finishing in the top two in three of her last four starts. She ran second as a lukewarm favorite in her latest, a $20,000 open-claiming turf sprint that stacks up closely class-wise to this race.
P J’s Enigma (Last 3 Beyers: 74-66-58)
New Jersey-bred filly has been busy climbing the class ladder in recent months while winning three of her last four starts and now makes her first attempt outside the “beaten” ranks after having been haltered by Steve DiMauro.
Sweet Tooth Sweety (Last 3 Beyers: 80-75-67)
Dennis Drazin homebred has been outrunning her odds since shipping south from New Jersey while becoming a mainstay at this condition, having been fifth at 106-1, second at 25-1, and third at 7-1.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Town Grad. Trainer Reade Baker is 13-3-2-1 with a $3.46 ROI over the past five years in turf sprints with horses trying turf for the first time in the second start following a layoff. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan