Stakes horses return from sidelines in Friday allowance

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Friday’s card at Gulfstream features a trio of allowance races, with the ninth race bringing together a trio of stakes-caliber horses coming off rather lengthy layoffs. Collaborate, Mutasaabeq, and the speedy New York-bred Bank On Shea run 6 1/2 furlongs over the main track for a $62,000 purse.

Collaborate, among the more highly touted 3-year-olds here last season, will make his first start since finishing a tiring sixth going 1 1/8 miles in the Curlin last summer at Saratoga. Collaborate, a son of Into Mischief trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., finished fifth trying the same distance in the 2021 Florida Derby.

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“He’s got a ton of talent and is bred to go two turns, but has breathing issues that have prevented him from doing that and compromised his true ability,” Joseph said. “After his last start, we gave him time off trying to correct those issues the best we can. Ideally, a one-turn mile is best for him, but that race doesn’t come up, so we’re going to start him back at 6 1/2 furlongs and see what happens. He’s working well, but he’s always been a very good work horse so it’s hard to say if he’s training better, worse, or as good coming back now than he had before.”

Mutasaabeq is a versatile sort whose 3-year-old season last year was cut short after just one start, a 1 1/2-length victory in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man here on Jan. 2. Like Collaborate, a son of Into Mischief, Mutasaabeq was a Grade 2 winner at 2 on grass, capturing the Bourbon at Keeneland following a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga.

Bank On Shea has not competed since winning the Affirmed Success, restricted to New York-breds, on April 23 at Belmont Park, earning a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure. He joined trainer Carlos David’s barn earlier this year and shows only three works for his return.