Top locals gather in Gulfstream overnight handicap
Gulfstream Park horseplayers accustomed to a double-digit roster of races are in for a surprise Sunday when only eight races, all on dirt, will end another three-day weekend at the South Florida track.
Mike Lakow, vice president of racing operations at Gulfstream, said the shortened card was caused by constraints related to the Tapeta course undergoing construction between the inner turf course and the outer main track. The situation is temporary, and the turf is expected to be available for use again when racing resumes Friday.
“The construction needed all the gaps, so we couldn’t run any turf,” said Lakow.
In any case, the Sunday feature is a good one. It’s a $60,000 overnight handicap, race 4, that drew a trio of multiple stakes winners, including Trophy Chaser and Jackson, who are returning from layoffs of notable duration. They are the highweights in a field of six older horses, along with Double Crown, whose more favorable recency helped make him the 121-pound topweight in the six-furlong race.
Trophy Chaser (post 1, Leonel Reyes, 119 pounds) has gone unraced since finishing last of 13 starters in the 2020 Oaklawn Handicap, a gap of more than 15 months. Now 5, the Kentucky-bred horse had been in terrific form prior to being sidelined, having earned Beyer Speed Figures of 103 and 102 in back-to-back victories. A sharp recent work pattern for trainer Juan Avila ended with a bullet half-mile drill on July 29.
Jackson (post 5, Edgard Zayas, 120 pounds) has been a stalwart in the upper ranks of Florida-bred sprinters throughout his 21-race career. He enters with a field-high bankroll of $484,595. Away since mid-January, the Pinchin family homebred was expected to scratch from a Saturday grass race in favor of this spot.
Double Crown (post 3, Luca Panici) is an obvious default play if you presume the other two favorites will need the race. Trained by Kathy Ritvo, the 4-year-old Maryland-bred gelding won consecutive Gulfstream stakes last year, the Roar and Carry Back, and he enters here with the added benefit of two recent starts, both of them solid.
Rounding out the lineup are Pudding (115), Tonalism (113), and One Fast (109).
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 includes the feature and spans races 3-8. A pool guarantee of about $250,000 can be expected, assuming the jackpot wasn’t swept Friday or Saturday by a solo winning ticket.
First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern, with the last race going at 4:48. Full-card televised action is available on TVG.
The highlights next weekend are the $75,000 Benny the Bull and $60,000 Aventura, both on Saturday.