Weekend Hideaway ends losing streak

MIAMI – Weekend Hideaway, who ran the best race of his life to capture the Sunshine Millions Sprint at Gulfstream Park last January, found Gulfstream Park West to his liking as well, snapping a seven-race losing streak with a convincing 6 1/4-length victory in Sunday’s featured race, which was moved from the turf to a sloppy main track due to heavy rain.

Trainer Phil Serpe handicapped both the weather and his horse quite well, entering Weekend Hideaway for the main track only in the five-furlong dash with rain in the forecast over the weekend.

“I’ve been looking for an easy spot for him, just trying to get his confidence back,” said Serpe. “I thought I’d found one in his last start in New York, but he had a difficult trip that day. So, with all the rain in the forecast, I thought this race might work out nicely for him, and it did. I don’t know what it is about south Florida with this horse. He ran a 107 Beyer in the Sunshine Millions this past winter. I’m still scratching my head over that one, but he’s a horse who will go in and out of form on you, which can be a little difficult and frustrating on my end. I know this was an off-the-turf race, but I thought he ran great, and I’m just happy for that.”

Weekend Hideaway was the second of two wins on Sunday’s card for Serpe, who sent out the bottom-level claimer Steve to a third consecutive victory one race earlier.

“It’s always good to win a race, whether it’s with a $5,000 claimer like Steve or a $50,000 purse with Weekend Hideaway,” said Serpe, who will have 20 horses bedded down locally for the winter.