Speed makes Moonshine Sipper dangerous
Moonshine Sipper will put his considerable speed on display when he tries winners for the first time in a $35,000 starter/optional-claiming race that will serve as the featured race at Gulfstream Park on Friday. Barring scratches, the five-furlong dash for 3-year-olds will go with eight horses if it doesn’t get washed off the turf. Purple Smoke and Conspiracy Again will run if it gets moved to the main track.
Trained, bred, and owned by Wesley Ward, Moonshine Sipper has actually crossed the finish line in front twice. In Moonshine Sipper’s first start this year, a $35,000 maiden-claiming race on turf Feb. 15, jockey Mario Pino had a hard time keeping his mount on the course as he drifted out badly at the top of the stretch and ended up running through the stretch along the outside rail. There wasn’t much doubt that the stewards were going to disqualify him back to third for interfering with Time Out of Mind.
Moonshine Sipper returned in a maiden special weight race March 26, and there were no mistakes made. He broke on top and never looked back while posting quick fractions of 21 and 43.20 seconds. The final time for five furlongs was a brisk 55.20 seconds.
Pino retains the mount and will be gunning Moonshine Sipper to the lead from post 2.
Facing winners for the first time is never easy, and Moonshine Sipper will be tested early by Guderian, who has been on the shelf since he won an optional $40,000 claiming race at Laurel on Nov. 8.
Race 8
KEY CONTENDERS
Moonshine Sipper (Last 2 Beyers: 78-65)
◗ The speedy homebred could be sitting on a huge race after taking a big step forward in his second start as a 3-year-old and just his third overall. The 78 Beyer Speed Figure he received is easily the best in the field.
Little Baltar (Last 3 Beyers: 70-65-41)
◗ As evidenced by his increasing Beyers, Little Baltar is heading in a positive direction for trainer Carlo Vaccarezza. He is coming off a solid second in his first try with winners in an optional $75,000 claiming race and could be dangerous sitting just off what figures to be a fast and contested pace.
Guderian (Last 3 Beyers: 71-24-51)
◗ The only two-time winner in the field might have tipped his hand when he worked a sharp three furlongs in 35 seconds last Sunday. He will be making his first start for trainer Ralph Nicks, who has a 14 percent strike rate with new shooters coming off layoffs of 61 to 180 days, according to DRF Formuator.