Sister Sunday gets class test in Cellars Shiraz

A couple of one-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds share the spotlight at Gulfstream Park West on Saturday. Fillies go first, in the $75,000 Cellars Shiraz, which drew 12 horses for turf, plus Shanghai Starlet if the race is moved to dirt. An 80 percent chance of rain is forecast, so Shanghai Starlet could end up running and will likely be favored if she does.

The $75,000 Showing Up drew 14 colts and geldings plus Royal Holiday, who will be among the favorites if the race is moved to the main track.

The Cellars Shiraz is race 6 on the 10-race card, which begins at 12:15 p.m. Eastern, while the Showing Up goes as race 8.

The Christoph Clement-trained Sister Sunday will get tested for class and could pass the exam in the Cellars Shiraz. The Florida-bred daughter of Denman is coming off a 2 1/2-length win in a first-level allowance race over the inner turf course at Belmont Park on Oct. 8, and the 88 Beyer Speed Figure she received is the best in the field. It was her first start since she finished fourth in a first-level allowance race with an $80,000 claiming option on turf at Saratoga on Aug. 16. The one-mile race was won by Cool Beans, who just missed while finishing third in the Grade 3 Valley View at Keeneland on Oct. 19.

Sister Sunday took them all the way in her win at Belmont, but she is versatile, and with other potential speed in the field she could end up stalking. She will break from post 7 with Antonio Gallardo riding.

Dark Artist, trained by Jane Cibelli, won back-to-back stakes at Monmouth Park prior to having her three-race winning streak snapped when she finished fourth in the Grade 3 Pucker Up at Arlington Park on Aug. 11

Shanghai Starlet is 2-1-0 in 3 starts on wet tracks, and her victory in the Panama City, which was washed off the turf and contested over a track rated good at Gulfstream Park on Aug. 11, stamps her as the one to beat if the rains come.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Shanghai Starlet is coming off a fourth-place finish in the $75,000 Miss Gracie on Sept. 15. The 7 1/2-furlong dash on turf was won by American Frolic, who is back in the Cellars Shiraz and will be gunning for her third straight win. She is trained by David Fawkes.

Gidu seeks lost form in Showing Up

If Gidu regains the form he had earlier in the year, he will be tough to beat in the Showing Up. After losing by a head in the Grade 3 Dania Beach at Gulfstream on Feb. 3, he won back-to-back stakes at Tampa Bay and Belmont.

Trained by Pletcher, Gidu just hasn’t been the same in three starts since he came back from Great Britain, where he finished sixth in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Ascot on June 22. In his last start the Irish-bred son of Frankel chased the pace before fading in the $151,500 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational on Oct. 6.

Sand Dancer will appreciate the class relief and shorter distance after leading most of the way before settling for second in the Grade 2 Hill Prince for trainer Timothy Hills at Belmont on Oct. 6.

Renaisance Frolic, trained by Fawkes, rallied to win the $75,000 Bear’s Den at Gulfstream on Sept. 22 and will have speed to run at in the Showing Up.