Touch of Quality poised for improvement in turf sprint

Fans of turf racing will want to take a look at Friday’s Gulfstream Park card, where seven of the 11 races will be contested on grass. Five of the races are turf sprints, including the featured 10th race, where Touch of Quality will try to get back on track in the first-level allowance race with a $16,000 claiming option. The five-furlong dash for fillies and mares bred in Florida drew seven horses, not including Coquivacoa, who will start only if the race is moved to the main track.

Trained by Daniel Pita, Touch of Quality came up empty in a similar race when she made her 4-year-old debut April 8. A four-time winner over the Gulfstream turf course, Touch of Quality showed good speed, but after chasing Meant Tobe Mine for a half-mile she packed it in and finished last. The rest of the field also couldn’t keep up with Meant to Be Mine, who cruised to a 10 1/2-length victory.

Touch of Quality ran a similar race on the main track coming off a layoff last July 2 and then pulled off a huge upset going five furlongs on turf in a $10,000 claiming race for nonwinners of two July 15. She paid $105.60 for her three-quarter-length victory over next-out winner Lady Greatness. Proving her improved performance was no fluke, Touch of Quality won her next two starts.

She breaks from post 2 with Edgard Zayas riding.

KEY CONTENDERS

Touch of Quality, by Exclusive Quality,

Last 3 Beyers: 27-77-76

◗ She ran like a horse that needed a race. Now that she’s had one, she could take a big step forward here.

◗ She is versatile and is capable of stalking what should be an honest and contested pace.

Mobeautiful, by Uncle Mo

Beyers: 55-43

◗ She showed promise in her debut when she won a maiden special weight race for Florida-breds on Feb. 4 and understandably couldn’t keep up in a key $35,000 starter race March 9 that produced three next-out winners. The winner, Starcloud, earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure when she repeated in the $75,000 Game Face on April 21.

◗ This is a substantially easier spot for the 3-year-old trained by Joseph Orseno, and being by the excellent turf sire Uncle Mo, she just might thrive running over grass the first time.

Salsalida, by Two Step Salsa

Last 3 Beyers: 71-53-44

◗ Trained by Eduardo Azpurua Jr., she was very impressive in her front-running victory in a $12,500 maiden-claiming race April 5 and could be dangerous if she is able to clear early.

Bird of Peace, by Discreetly Mine

Last 3 Beyers: 32-50-3

◗ She had a rough trip in the same race Touch of Quality exits, and with just three starts in her career has a right to improve. The 3-year-old was making her first start for trainer Fernando Abreu, who claimed her for $20,000 out of a maiden-claiming race she won March 16.