Triple-digit Beyer makes a refreshed Ice Tea hard to resist

A triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure isn’t all that uncommon during the championship meet at Gulfstream Park. After all, some of the fastest horses on the continent convene every winter at the South Florida track.

At other Gulfstream meets, however, those big figures are a bit more scarce. So when a 5-year-old gelding named Ice Tea earned a 100 Beyer in winning a July 4 race, it may have raised some eyebrows.

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Ice Tea, trained by Mary Eppler for Flying Pheasant Farm, will make his return to action Sunday when he faces six other 3-year-olds and up in a $47,000 one-mile allowance that anchors an 11-race card. The Independence Day romp was Ice Tea’s second victory in as many starts since he returned from a layoff of more than 16 months. Emisael Jaramillo has a return call.

Eppler, a trainer since 1980, has been based primarily in Maryland throughout her career, but like a number of East Coast conditioners, she also is maintaining a small string in Florida. She went 3 for 33 at the championship meet; 1 for 10 at the spring meet; and entered this week with a gaudy 3-for-4 mark at the current summer meet.

In case Ice Tea bounces off that huge last win, the most likely upsetters include Winking At Thedude and Souper Catch.

One longshot, Geonosis, the only 3-year-old in the lineup, is trained by Antonio Sano, who sent out two winners Thursday at Gulfstream. Sano, the all-time leading trainer in his native Venezuela, now has 4,000 career wins, according to Gulfstream, with 662 of those coming in the United States.

The feature is part of a Rainbow 6 sequence that spans races 6-11. Through Thursday, the Rainbow 6 jackpot stood at $132,718.

One earlier allowance (race 3), a $47,000 race for Florida-bred fillies and mares, also is part of a program that begins at 1:15 p.m. Eastern. Liza Star and Hello Juliet look like the ones to beat in that 5 1/2-furlong race.

After Sunday, Gulfstream goes dark for three days before another four-day week resumes Thursday.

KEY CONTENDERS

Ice Tea, by Adios Charlie

Last 3 Beyers: 100-86-57

◗ Prior to his stunning last performance, he had gone unraced from January 2018 until posting a 21-1 upset in a Laurel starter allowance on May 31.

Winking At Thedude, by First Dude

Last 3 Beyers: 87-82-87

◗ Trained by Terri Pompay, this 4-year-old gelding has been involved in races decided by a nose in each of his last three starts, winning one and losing two.

Souper Catch, by Bernardini

Last 3 Beyers: 83-83-76

◗ This 5-year-old gelding hasn’t won since going back-to-back in late 2017 and now stretches out from a 6 1/2-furlong race in which he was a fast-closing second.