Small barn has solid shot in allowance feature

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It will be David versus the Goliaths when the one-horse stable of Frank Russo goes against representatives from some of the top trainers in the business, including Jorge Navarro and Jason Servis, in Wednesday’s $51,000 optional-claiming feature at Gulfstream Park.

Russo’s sole charge, Chatiment, comes into the main event having won each of his last two starts for the 76-year-old trainer who began his racing career in Maryland back in 1959. Claimed for $6,250 by Russo’s son, Joseph, here a year ago, Chatiment finished fifth racing under a $30,000 tag in his first start back from a nine-month vacation and first running for the senior Russo on Jan. 3.

“He had some leg issues, so we just turned him out on my farm in Pennsylvania and gave him plenty of time off and got him straightened out,” Russo said. “We also gelded him during that time.”

Chatiment began his current win streak going wire to wire under similar conditions as Wednesday’s headliner to spring a 20-1 upset on Jan. 16. He came back just two weeks later and proved that performance was no fluke, turning back to seven furlongs to register a game neck decision against starter-allowance competition at the more modest price of 2-1.

“He’s one of those horses who loves to train and loves to run,” Russo said. “If he’s not out of his stall he’s a terror, and he just digs in all the time, just like he did in his last start.”

Luis Saez rode Chatiment to both recent victories, but he will be serving the final day of two consecutive riding suspensions on Wednesday. In his place, Russo will turn the reins back over to Nik Juarez, who was aboard Chatiment for his first start off the layoff.

“He’s still got his problems, and I feel like we’ve probably gotten the most we can out of him, which is why I’ve got him back in this race for the tag instead of moving him up to a two-other-than, which would have been much tougher,” Russo said. “But looking over the race, I think he can win again. I may be a one-horse stable, but I’ve been in the business long enough to know that if you’ve got the horse you can be as good as anybody else. Horses make good trainers, not the other way around.”

Navarro and Servis will counter Chatiment with key contenders Diamond Bachelor and Bad Student, respectively.

Diamond Bachelor, claimed by Navarro for $25,000 in December, finished second behind the fast-closing Transistor going a mile against high-priced starter-allowance and optional-claiming company earlier this month.

Bad Student finished a tiring fourth after chasing Chatiment’s pace into the stretch when the pair last met Jan. 16 and was haltered for $25,000 that day by Servis, who is winning at more than a 40 percent clip off the claim and nearly 50 percent overall at the meet.

The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Guy Caballero will break from the inside post, an advantageous draw in races decided at 1 1/16 miles over the main track here. Baby I’m Perfect, Deputy Czar, and the graded stakes-placed Just Whistle, returning from nearly a nine-month layoff, complete the field.