Something Awesome tries to transfer good synthetic form to dirt

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The majority of the nine horses in Sunday’s $45,000 feature at Gulfstream Peak are coming into the second-level optional $62,500 claiming race in peak form, led by Something Awesome, who seeks his fourth consecutive victory while making his local debut for trainer Danny Vella.

Something Awesome fashioned his win streak at Vella’s home base of Woodbine, which means he’ll have to transfer that good form from Tapeta to dirt on Sunday.

“He ran pretty well on the dirt as a younger horse, he works well enough on it, so I think he should handle it pretty well,” said Vella, who first began wintering horses in south Florida in the late 1980s.

Something Awesome, an Adena Springs homebred owned by Frank Stronach, began his career with John Shirreffs, making four starts on dirt in New York and California before joining Vella’s stable last spring. He won his maiden at first asking for Vella in wire-to- wire fashion at Woodbine.

Following a couple of disappointing tries, Something Awesome got on a roll, winning a couple of midpriced conditioned claimers before defeating entry-level allowance competition going seven furlongs on Nov. 13.

“I didn’t have him as a young horse, but it seemed like earlier this year he needed to have things his own way,” said Vella. “But I think he’s kind of outgrown that with maturity and racing experience. Now he can relax, sit just off the pace, and I believe he’s still improving.”

Although Something Awesome posted a career-high 87 Beyer Speed Figure in his Woodbine finale, he may have to move forward once again to beat a pretty strong group going six furlongs Sunday, led by Mr. Baker, Springmeier, Yourdreamsormine, The Son Wind, and Chubble Maker.

Mr. Baker, a two-time stakes winner in 2014, has been freshened since scoring by 2 1/4 lengths over Springmeier under similar conditions nearly eight weeks ago at Gulfstream Park West.

Yourdreamsormine easily defeated Mr. Baker in capturing the Groomstick overnight stakes going seven furlongs here this past summer, although he has finished second as the favorite in both subsequent starts.

The Son Wind comes into the race off a career-best performance when posting an 89 Beyer while defeating weaker optional-claiming company over a wet track at Gulfstream West on Oct. 29. Chubble Maker looks like he could prove another astute claim by trainer Jorge Navarro, who haltered the New Jersey-bred for $30,000 out of a winning effort at Monmouth Park in his last start Sept. 11.

Channel Maker will winter in Florida

Vella said his top 2-year-old prospect, Channel Maker, will soon arrive locally to prepare for his 3-year-old campaign, with the Queen’s Plate his primary goal. Channel Maker won his maiden in the Vandal Stakes over a yielding turf course at Woodbine this past summer and finished a troubled third behind the well-regarded Good Samaritan in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes prior to finishing seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

“He probably should have been fourth, but he got into a little late trouble in the Breeders’ Cup,” said Vella. “He’ll be one of the winter-book favorites for the Queen’s Plate, and we’ll probably point him for a turf race down here towards the end of February to get started. I think he’s strictly turf and synthetics at this point.”

Rose Brier eyes Fort Lauderdale

Trainer Jane Cibelli said Rose Brier, disqualified from first and placed second behind Lubash last week in the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap, likely will make his next start in the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale here on Jan. 14.

“He came out of the race so well, and if any horse deserves to have a graded stakes besides his name, he does,” said Cibelli. “I’m not in disagreement with the stewards’ decision. He did come out, no doubt about it. He came up to where the hedge stops, and he ducked out from that. But I don’t think [Lubash] was ever going by him, and that’s where the heartbreaker is.”