Turco Bravo, Clubman meet in wide-open Claiming Crown Jewel

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – For anyone who likes big, competitive fields – and what horseplayer doesn’t? – Gulfstream Park is the place to be on Saturday, when the 2017-18 championship meeting kicks off once again with the ever-popular Claiming Crown. Field sizes range from 12 to 14 horses throughout the 11-race program, the first of 89 cards to be run here through April 1. Post time for opening day is noon Eastern.

The $200,000 Jewel is the main event on the card, offering an interesting mix of current and former claimers who have competed for a price tag of $35,000 or less since Jan. 1, 2016. A field of 13 was drawn, with post position likely to go a long way toward deciding the outcome because of a short run to the first turn in races at 1 1/8 miles over the main track here.

Turco Bravo and Clubman are favorably drawn in posts 2 and 3. Clubman is the only 3-year-old in the lineup, while Turco Bravo, at 8, is the oldest and richest member of the field, with career earnings in excess of $655,000.

Turco Bravo did not become eligible for the Jewel until Sept. 3, when he was claimed for $32,000 by trainer David Cannizzo out of a third-place finish at Saratoga. Turco Bravo returned quick dividends four weeks later when finishing second, beaten less than a length by multiple stakes winner Madefromlucky, in the Temperence Hill Invitational at Belmont Park. Turco Bravo has made one subsequent start, finishing a distant seventh against a strong field of third-level allowance and high-priced optional-claiming foes Nov. 12 at Aqueduct.

“We didn’t necessarily claim him with the Claiming Crown in mind,” said Cannizzo. “I took him because I knew the Temperence Hill was coming up light, and the marathon races throughout the winter in New York usually have short fields, so it was an opportunity to make some money. And it nearly paid off right away when he ran second in the stakes. But we’ve been pointing for the Claiming Crown after that. A mile and one-eighth is probably a little short for him, but this is really a drop in class, so hopefully the difference in competition is the equalizer.”

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Clubman has won four of his last five starts, with his lone defeat since July being a fourth-place finish in the Maryland Millions Classic at Laurel Park. Clubman was haltered for a bargain $25,000 by trainer Jonathan Maldonado in June.

“I claimed him because he was a 3-year-old who I thought was capable of running better than he had been at the time,” said Maldonado. “He was a little disappointing the first two times I ran him, both times on the turf, so I put him back on dirt and told Sheldon [Russell] to take him off the bridle, let him come from behind and use his speed for the last part of the race rather than the beginning, and he’s been a different horse since then. The only other time he tried a mile and one-eighth, he finished fourth in the Maryland Million, but he got in some trouble and dropped too far back, or he probably could have been second, and I absolutely believe the longer the better for him.”

Trainer Jorge Navarro wound up on both sides of the coin at the post-position draw, with Chunnel getting the rail and Flowers for Lisa having his chances compromised by getting the outside post 13. Chunnel brings a three-race win streak into the Jewel. His most recent effort was his best yet, a 6 1/2-length second-level optional-claiming victory at Parx for which he received a career-high 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

Trainer Mike Maker also entered a pair, Capital Letters and Flashy Jewel. Capital Letters is perhaps the best of the duo, having captured two of his last three starts, including a second-level optional claimer just two weeks ago at Churchill Downs.

Gigantic Breeze is the class of the field, coming off a one-length triumph in the Grade 2 Autumn at Woodbine on Nov. 12, but is a major question mark while racing on dirt for the first time.

Dream Saturday has trained extremely well since being haltered for $20,000 by trainer Peter Walder out of a win here Sept. 29. He and Flowers for Lisa are the only members of the field with multiple wins over this track.