Summation Time poised to give Bravo elusive win
It’s been said that statistics can be misleading. Anyone who has followed the riding career of Joe Bravo can attest to that adage.
Into this week of action at Gulfstream Park in south Florida, Bravo had one win and 13 seconds from his first 48 mounts at the championship meet. Rather than suggesting that Bravo has forgotten how to win, those numbers are more likely an indication of how fortunes ebb and flow in this unpredictable sport.
“Hot and cold streaks are just a part of the game,” said Bravo, a winner of more than 5,100 races since he began riding nearly 30 years ago. “Having so many seconds makes me go back and work harder. All these horses have run good races. When they all come back, they’ll be live. It’s often a matter of timing and how they’re developing.”
As a 10-race card unfolds Thursday at Gulfstream, Bravo will have a prime opportunity to improve his win percentage at the meet. He’ll be getting a leg up from trainer Christophe Clement aboard Summation Time, the solid favorite in the ninth-race feature, a $49,000, second-level allowance scheduled for five furlongs on the turf.
“I’ve ridden this horse off and on for a while,” said Bravo. “He’s becoming a bigger and stronger animal and still learning the game. With his raw talent and the way he’s been getting mentally prepared, we should be okay in that spot.”
One other allowance is on tap for Thursday, and it’s also a turf sprint. It goes as the fifth race, which kicks off the 20-cent Rainbow 6 sequence. Nine fillies and mares are entered under a first-level restriction for a $48,000 purse.
First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.
KEY CONTENDERS (Race 9)
Summation Time, by In Summation
Last 3 Beyers: 96-94-88
◗ Second as the favorite in an ungraded stakes at Gulfstream West last out, he should have no excuses. He is likely to get a clean stalking trip from his outside post.
Platinum Prince, by Leroidesanimaux
Last 3 Beyers: 85-82-79
◗ He was beaten maybe an inch under similar allowance conditions at the Churchill Downs fall meet when he improved off his first start for trainer Mike Tomlinson.
Captain Gaughen, by Disco Rico
Last 3 Beyers: 76-89-86
◗ Gray New York-bred has a touch of class and will be turning back in distance in his first start for trainer Jason Servis after taking a brief regrouping.
Run for Logistics, by Bernstein
Last 3 Beyers: 90-73-78
◗ He’s one of three starters in this eight-horse field (with French Quarter and Extravagant Kid) entered for the $62,500 claiming option.
Light the Night, by Street Cry
Last 3 Beyers: 63-70-87
◗ He was slammed at the start of his last race and eliminated. Some of his prior efforts make him a candidate for a mild upset with Javier Castellano taking the call.