The Truth Or Else invades for long-absent McPeek

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Ken McPeek hasn’t started a horse during the Gulfstream Park winter meet for three years. But he’s picked a good one to come back here with: the graded-stakes-placed The Truth Or Else, who figures to be among the choices in Saturday’s $75,000 Sir Shackleton Stakes.

The Truth Or Else has spent the winter at Payson Park with about 25 others from McPeek’s stable, turning in a steady series of works for his return that includes a bullet half-mile March 11. The Truth Or Else has not started since Dec. 17 at Fair Grounds, where he was outrun going two turns in the Tenacious Stakes.

“I think seven furlongs is the perfect distance for him,” McPeek said. “He’s a hard-knocking, hickory type of horse who has been really solid for us for a long time. He’s trained well, and he’s certainly capable of winning off the bench.”

The Truth Or Else, who has banked more than $500,000 in his career, could face his stiffest opposition from the much-improved Bluegrass Singer. Bluegrass Singer exits a career-best effort for which he earned a 102 Beyer Speed Figure in winning a one-mile race against midlevel optional-claiming/allowance company March 15. The win was his first in four starts here this winter and his first since being transferred to trainer Dale Romans.

“His numbers are going in the right direction,” Romans said. “It’s a stretch to put him in a race like this, but we’ll give him a chance.”

Other key contenders in the Sir Shackleton include Mr. Jordan, Fire Mission, and French Quarter.

Mr. Jordan will attempt to get back on the winning track after a couple of disappointing tries against graded-stakes opposition here for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr.

French Quarter could return quick dividends off the claim for his new connections, who haltered the in-form gelding for $62,500 off a second straight victory here three weeks ago.

The Sir Shackleton is one of three ungraded stakes on Saturday’s 14-race card, along with the $100,000 Cutler Bay and its filly counterpart, the $100,000 Sanibel Island, both for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf.

The graded-stakes-placed Shiraz tops a well-matched lineup in the Cutler Bay that also includes Sir Sebastian and Erasmo’s Dream, along with impressive maiden winners Dover Cliffs and Inheritthewind.

Happy Mesa, who finished a troubled fourth in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride in her last start, tops a field of 10 3-year-old fillies in the Sanibel Island, with Taperge, Scheme, Accepting, and Take a Deep Breath among the other key contenders.