Two allowance races top Thursday card

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The new racing week begins Thursday at Gulfstream Park with an eight-race program that offers a pair of allowance races along with the first maiden race of the meet carded for 2-year-olds on the turf.

The afternoon’s co-features will be decided on the main track, with the fourth race at six furlongs for 3-year-olds and up, and the seventh race at seven-eighths restricted to 3-year-old Florida-bred fillies.

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A field of only six will contest the fourth race, with Admiral Lynch the tepid 5-2 morning-line favorite but perhaps a bit of a question mark returning from a three-month layoff and as the only member of the field entered under the $25,000 claiming tag clause in the conditions. Haltered for $62,500 out of a third-place finish behind no less a rival than subsequent Grade 1 winner Mischevious Alex just two starts back, Admiral Lynch has been idle since finishing a distant seventh and last following an eventful start in the Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 13.

The horse to beat could be Septemberten, who comes out of a fourth-place finish in a key race on April 3. The one-mile $30,000 starter-allowance test was won by Tune In with Well Defined a neck back in second. They returned with Beyer Speed Figures of 94 and 96 while winning their subsequent starts, with Well Defined’s victory coming here earlier this month in the Big Drama Stakes.

Septemberten finished just five lengths behind Tune In and Well Defined, turning in an even effort after being hung wide around the bend. Septemberten defeated $50,000 starter-allowance foes just three weeks earlier, rallying from the rear of the pack to score a half-length decision. He has four victories from 23 starts.

High Heater comes into the race in peak form, having won his last two starts, both at seven furlongs against open $12,500 claiming opposition for trainer Peter Walder. High Heater figures to stalk an honest early pace, with Kalu and Doc Amster likely to contest the early running. Kalu matched his career-best Beyer Speed Figure, an 84, with a starter-allowance victory in his last start. Doc Amster seeks to make amends after dropping a nose decision under entry-level allowance conditions last month at Tampa Bay Downs.

There should also be plenty of pace in the seventh race, with No Decaf, Patrick’s Lass, and Happy Interest all signed on. The pace scenario could favor the stretch-running Celestial Cheetah, who adds blinkers and shortens up from a mile to seven panels after having been haltered by Walder for $35,000 out of his last start on March 5. This will be the first time Celestial Cheetah, an easy six-length winner of her 3-year-old debut here on Jan. 20, has ever faced statebred competition.

Patrick’s Lass chased a rapid pace set by Comp’d before settling for third going six furlongs under similar conditions in her last start. Comp’d, who finished fifth behind Patrick’s Lass, returned to dominate mid-level conditioned-claiming opposition in gate-to-wire fashion on Sunday. The question will be the added distance for Patrick’s Lass, a two-time winner who has yet to compete beyond six furlongs.

C’Mon Karen, perfect in two starts, would also appreciate a speed duel as she steps up in company off a decisive 3 1/4-length optional-claiming and starter victory at six furlongs five weeks earlier for trainer Bob Hess Jr.

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A field of eight juveniles that includes one main track-only runner was entered for Thursday’s opener, carded at five furlongs on the turf for 2-year-old fillies. Trainer Mark Casse will seek his third straight local juvenile win, sending out the Irish-bred Diabolic against a group that includes Wallaholly, who is certain to take plenty of backing coming from the potent barn of trainer Wesley Ward. Both fillies have worked several times over the turf course at the Palm Meadows training center.