Two class droppers end up in same race

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Bobby Barbara was hoping to give the graded stakes-placed Interpatation a confidence booster by dropping him into allowance company in Wednesday's $57,500 turf feature at Gulfstream Park. But when he picked up the overnight sheet, he found that trainer Angel Penna Jr. had a similar idea for the Grade 1 stakes-placed Remarkable News.

Interpatation is winless in his last five starts and has just one win in the past 13 months. During that time, however, he finished third in Saratoga's Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap, fourth in Belmont Park's Grade 1 Turf Classic Invitational, and a fastclosing third in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Handicap earlier this meet.

"I was hoping to use this race to get his confidence back, but I'm going to take a close look at the field before deciding whether to run or not," said Barbara.

Barbara said he's more interested in how much pace there will be in Wednesday's field than who the competition might be.

"I'll see how much speed is in there and decide if it's feasible to run," he said. "If not, I'll just wait and take him to Tampa for the stakes on April 7."

That race is the $75,000 Cherokee River Turf Classic.

Remarkable News, who has not started since finishing second in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile on Oct. 7, is racing Wednesday more as a prep than a confidence-builder. The Grade 2 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland on April 13 is his next major objective.

"I was hoping to make the Canadian Turf with him earlier in the meet, but he wasn't quite ready," said trainer Angel Penna Jr. "He's doing well at the moment and is probably 90 or 95 percent fit for this race."

If jockey Rene Douglas opts to send Remarkable News to the front, he could end up loose on the lead, since only Electric Light appears capable of keeping up with him early. Electric Light took back off the lead in his last two starts en route to second- and third-place finishes against slightly softer fourth-level allowance competition.