Simply the Best gives two turns another go in Sunday allowance

Simply the Best will need to be at her best to win a first-level allowance race for Florida-bred fillies and mares that closes Sunday’s nine-race card at Gulfstream Park. There also is a $20,000 claiming option available in the one-mile race on turf, which drew 10 horses. The wide-open event is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Eastern.

Simply the Best, who has raced only on turf, could be sitting on a peak performance in just her third start this year. Trained by Danny Gargan, Simply the Best went on the shelf following her win in a maiden special weight race for Florida-breds going five furlongs in March 2021. She came back with a strong effort in a first-level allowance race with a $16,000 claiming option on Feb. 25 at Gulfstream, rallying late to finish second going five furlongs. She ran a similar race last out when she finished third, again at five furlongs, at the same level as Sunday’s race.

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Simply the Best runs like a horse that should be able to get at least a mile, but she was not successful in her two tries going around two turns. Her first route attempt is easy to dismiss, as she was making her 2-year-old debut in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race at Saratoga. Prior to her maiden victory, she held the lead at the half-mile mark going 7 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream before losing ground in the stretch to finish third.

Simply the Best signaled her readiness when she worked a bullet four furlongs on the grass at Palm Meadows in 46.40 seconds on May 8. Adding to her appeal is Gargan’s 27 percent strike rate and $3.27 return on investment with horses running on turf that were going from a sprint to a route.

She can stalk and should get a nice trip from a forward position after she breaks from post 3 with Manuel Vasquez up.

Bravo Zulo, trained by Garry Lee, has won two of her last three, and in both of her wins she led from start to finish going about 7 1/2 furlongs on turf. She took them all the way in a $35,000 maiden claimer June 26 and, after finishing fifth in a $35,000 starter race with a $35,000 optional claiming price, she was an easy winner at the same level April 8.

Other speed will not make her task easy, though.

Lookinlikeaqueen, trained by Gedalia Goodman, will appreciate being back on turf after finishing fifth as the favorite going a mile and 70 yards on Tapeta at this level in a race that was washed off the grass April 16. The 6-year-old daughter of Lookin At Lucky has won six races on turf, the latest coming in a first-level race for Florida-breds that carried a $16,000 claiming option Dec. 24.

Promise Me has a right to move forward after taking them a long way at 58-1 before settling for second going 1 1/16 miles on turf in her first start this year, which came in a $25,000 conditioned claimer on April 28.