They'll all be chasing X Y Jet in Sunshine Millions Sprint

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The strategy seems simple enough for the $100,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint on Saturday at Gulfstream Park: X Y Jet will go to the lead from his rail post, and the other six Florida-breds will just have to come get him.

Bettors will be highly dubious of their chances.

X Y Jet, with Emisael Jaramillo to ride, will be a short price to continue a comeback that his connections hope will result in another trip to Dubai. He was second by a neck in the 2016 Golden Shaheen at Meydan, a race that underscores the major class edge being brought to this six-furlong race by the gray 6-year-old gelding.

“We’re going to go step by step, like we did with his last one,” said trainer Jorge Navarro, who trains X Y Jet for Rockingham Ranch and Gelfenstein Farm.

Four Saturdays ago, X Y Jet returned from a 13-month layoff in winning the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector at Gulfstream for the second time in his career. His 98 Beyer Speed Figure showed he had recovered from a third knee surgery.

“He came out of the race great,” Navarro said. “He is in great condition.”

Probably the top threat to X Y Jet is Mo Cash (post 3, Javier Castellano), whose last-out victory at Tampa Bay Downs over the highly regarded Three Rules perpetuated his ascent among Florida-bred sprinters. The 4-year-old gelding had been fourth in a Gulfstream West allowance prior to his score in the Dec. 12 Marion County across the peninsula.

“He didn’t relish the track” at Gulfstream West, trainer Ron Spatz said. “He ran good enough that we took him to Tampa thinking he’d have a shot to improve off that race, and it worked. Now, the road gets tougher.”

The balance of the Sprint lineup comprises Sweetontheladies, Storming My Way, Bold Envoy, Quijote, and Sheikh of Sheikhs. Three of them are minor stakes winners, most notably Sheikh of Sheikhs (post 7, Jose Ortiz) as winner of the now defunct Juvenile Dirt Sprint on Breeders’ Cup weekend of 2015 at Keeneland.

KEY CONTENDERS

X Y Jet, by Kantharos

(Last 3 Beyers: 98-89-92)

◗ An earner of $860,053 while finishing first or second in 13 of his 18 starts, he earned triple-digit Beyers in four straight races during a 3 1/2-month span (from November 2015 to February 2016, including a romp in the Sunshine Millions Sprint) while developing into a world-class sprinter.

Mo Cash, by Adios Charlie

(Last 3 Beyers: 84-83-84)

◗ After starting his career with three straight wins, he was defeated four straight times prior to upending Three Rules at Tampa.

Sheikh of Sheikhs, by Discreetly Mine

(Last 3 Beyers: 89-82-82)

◗ This heavily traveled 5-year-old gelding is looking for his first win in more than two years. He has been trained by Wesley Ward, Brad Cox, Todd Pletcher, and now Mike Maker.

Bold Envoy, by Indian Express

(Last 3 Beyers: 89-72-82)

◗ Lightly raced gelding makes his stakes debut with the high-profile team of Pletcher and John Velazquez in his corner.