Strike Charmer staying home for My Charmer

MIAMI – After tossing around the idea of sending Strike Charmer out to California for the Grade 1 Matriarch at Del Mar on Dec. 4, trainer Mark Hennig decided to keep the Grade 2 winner closer to home and in a much softer spot, Saturday’s Grade 3 My Charmer Handicap at Gulfstream Park West.

“There were a lot of factors involved in the decision,” Hennig said by phone from New York on Wednesday. “Travel was becoming a bit of an inconvenience. It was going to become a longer trip than we desired. They are also expecting a 14-horse field out there. She obviously doesn’t lay close, and there will be a lot of traffic to pick through on a course that might not lend itself to horses coming from that far back.”

Strike Charmer, who upset Lady Eli to capture the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga in August, is scheduled to be bred next season. Hennig said that by staying here, Strike Charmer might get some additional opportunities to run this winter before she’s bred.

Strike Charmer will be the highweight under 121 pounds in the My Charmer, for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the turf, and will break from the rail under jockey Junior Alvarado. The nine-horse field also includes Isabella Sings (119 pounds), the Christophe Clement-trained pair of Stormy Victoria (119) and Sea Coast (116), Kentucky invader Secret Someone (117), Susie Bee (116), Dad’s Princess (114), Sparkle Factor (114), and Artesian (112) .

The My Charmer shares top billing on Saturday’s 11-race program with the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on turf. The nine-horse field is topped by 2014 winner Lubash (118) and Grade 3 winner War Correspondent (117), both trained by Clement. Coalport will carry the high weight of 119 pounds and is one of two horses trainer Mike Maker entered, along with Granny’s Kitten (118), a winner of his last two starts. The remainder of the lineup consists of Manchurian High (117), Rose Brier (117), Copingaway (113), Applicator (112), and Andreya’s Reward (110).

Clement has had great success in both races, having won the My Charmer twice and the Tropical Turf four times, including each year from 2012-14.

“If you have horses still running and doing well, it’s nice to get an opportunity to run them one more time before putting them away for the year,” Clement said. “The turf course looks good for the end of the meet, and management told me they’ve been saving two lanes for these races, which should give these horses a fresh course to run over, which makes me feel more comfortable.”

Clement will be the only trainer in a position to sweep all three stakes on Saturday’s card, as he sends out Summation Time against Rainbow Heir and El Deal in the $75,000 Gin Rummy Champ at five furlongs on turf.

The 37-day Gulfstream Park West meet ends Sunday, with racing dark on the circuit until Gulfstream Park opens its championship meet on Saturday, Dec. 3.