Turf Paradise: Red Zeus returns to dirt in Kruytbosch

Surface and distance don’t seem to matter to Red Zeus, a 3-year-old gelding who has won five times this season on dirt and turf, sprinting as short as six furlongs and going as long as 1 1/16 miles.

The versatile Red Zeus will switch surfaces once again for Tuesday’s $35,000 Luke Kruytbosch Stakes for 3-year-olds at Turf Paradise. After winning back-to-back stakes on grass in his first two starts of the current meet, Red Zeus returns to a two-turn race on dirt for the first time since April in Tuesday’s 1 1/16-mile ninth race.

The surface switch shouldn’t bother Red Zeus, an Arizona-bred trained by Dan McFarlane. This past spring, after romping on turf in the 7 1/2-furlong Arizona Stallion Stakes, Red Zeus transferred his good form to dirt to win another statebred stakes at 1 1/16 miles. During the summer at Canterbury Park, Red Zeus beat open company sprinters going six furlongs.

Following a 2 1/2-month vacation, Red Zeus returned to Turf Paradise to win a pair of one-mile turf stakes for open company, upsetting the Walter Cluer Memorial at 16-1 and scoring as the 3-5 favorite in his most recent outing in the Jack Coady Sr. and Jeff Coady on Nov. 16.

Of the seven opponents Red Zeus will face Tuesday, only On the Key and Mark own more than one victory on dirt.

On the Key will be stepping up in class following a 5 1/4-length score in a $10,000 conditioned claimer on Dec. 2. His other dirt victory came at Northlands Park in August.

Mark’s two main-track wins came in a six-furlong maiden claimer locally last December and an off-the-turf first-level allowance in early February. One start later, in the Turf Paradise Derby, Mark finished 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Red Zeus, although both horses were badly beaten by the winner. Mark, trained by Mike Anderson, will be making the second start of his current form cycle and moving from turf to dirt after winning a starter stakes two weeks ago.

It’s difficult to make a case for any of the others. The best recent dirt form among them belongs to Awfully Lucky, whose only win in eight starts came in a $5,000 maiden claimer last February. He exits a third-place finish in a $12,500 claiming sprint and will be racing two turns on the main track for the first time.