Smiling Teufles faces a couple of familiar rivals in Sunday allowance

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Smiling Teufles, Straight Shot, and Inter Miami, the first three finishers of a $35,000 claiming dash here on Feb. 4, will go at it one more time on Sunday. The optional-claiming and allowance race will be decided at six furlongs on the main track for a $51,000 purse.

Also in the field for the race, the fourth on Sunday’s 10-race program, are Thinkaboutit, Vinnie Van Go, and Dr. Duke.

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Smiling Teufles overcame a slow start and rallied from last to a decisive victory over uncoupled stablemates Straight Shot and Inter Miami going six furlongs on Feb. 4. Smiling Teufles has made two subsequent starts, finishing second in a pair of starter-allowance dashes while earning a career best Beyer Speed Figure of 80 in his most recent try.

Straight Shot bounced out of his runner-up finish behind Smiling Teufles to win under similar conditions when stretching to seven furlongs five weeks later. Vinnie Van Go could prove the one to catch in this spot after tiring badly while facing much tougher competition racing over a sloppy track Jan. 16 in his only start of the season.