Sloane Square back from long layoff in Thursday allowance
Sloane Square is perfect in at least one respect – with the fans. The 3-year-old filly has been favored in every one of her four starts, including back-to-back graded stakes last spring.
Away seven months, Sloane Square makes an eagerly awaited return Thursday at Gulfstream Park when sure to be favored again in the first of three allowances on a 10-race program. The gray daughter of Giant’s Causeway shows seven workouts at Palm Beach Downs in preparation for a $38,000, seven-furlong allowance carded as the fourth race.
Todd Pletcher is equipping Sloane Street with blinkers for her return in a second-level allowance in which she will meet five other fillies. John Velazquez will be aboard when breaking from the outside post.
“She’s really been training forwardly since arriving in Florida,” Pletcher said. “We’re expecting an improved effort.”
First post Thursday is 12:35 p.m. Eastern. The two later allowances both drew bigger fields, with 3-year-olds and up traveling 7 1/2 furlongs on turf in race 8 and fillies and mares going six furlongs on the main track in race 9.
KEY CONTENDERS
Sloane Square (Last 3 Beyers: 70-78-75)
◗ Layoff and trainer intent are the obvious questions surrounding a filly who easily blew through her maiden and first allowance conditions before finishing second in the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks and a troubled ninth in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan. Pletcher shows a 25 percent strike rate with horses returning from layoffs of 180 days or more.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Sloane Square. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 30-5-2-5 with a $0.80 ROI over the past five years going route to sprint on dirt following a layoff of 180 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
:: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs
:: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
◗ To the surprise of no one, Pletcher is off to a terrific start at the championship meet, winning with seven of his first 12 starters.
Cabo Queen (Last 3 Beyers: 81-77-64)
◗ Perhaps the more capable of the uncoupled Marty Wolfson duo (Quiet Hour is the other), this Stonestreet Stables 4-year-old brings substantial stakes experience to the proceedings, although she hasn’t won since May 2013, with 13 straight defeats in the interim.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Quiet Hour. Trainer Marty Wolfson is 37-14-8-4 with a $2.96 ROI over the past two years going route to sprint on dirt in the second start following a layoff. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
◗ This is her first start for Wolfson, who shows big numbers (26 percent wins, $2.42 return on investment) in the category.
Souper Scoop (Last 3 Beyers: 91-81-83)
◗ One of two gray 3-year-olds in here (with Bernadine) for Eddie Plesa Jr., this daughter of the red-hot sire Tapit figures to be prominent from her rail slot despite exiting longer races. She’ll be fresh and eager, having worked nine times since her latest start for Plesa, whose turnback numbers (23 percent, $2.85 ROI) are outstanding.
Bernadine (Last 3 Beyers: 60-80-79)
◗ Really came to hand over the summer in New Jersey before failing to show her usual speed when stretching out on the Pennsylvania Derby undercard. Shows six workouts at Gulfstream Park West in preparing for this one-turn race as another Plesa turnbacker.