Whisper Onthe Wind aging gracefully

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The old adage about getting better with age surely applies to the turf specialist Whisper Onthe Wind, who will be among the favorites in Friday’s co-featured ninth race at Gulfstream Park, a first-level optional $16,000 claimer for Florida-breds going a mile on turf.

Whisper Onthe Wind is about ready to complete by far his best year yet at the age of 7, having won 5 of 14 starts on the season for earnings in excess of $142,000. In five previous years of racing and 50 starts, he won just six times while banking $158,000. Nine of Whisper Onthe Wind’s 11 lifetime victories have been on grass, the other two over synthetic surfaces.

Whisper Onthe Wind began his career at Calder Race Course during the fall of 2011 with former trainer Steve DiMauro. He has passed through several hands since and is currently under the tutelage of Dane Kobiskie, who took him for $25,000 out of a winning effort here April 30.

Whisper Onthe Wind is coming off a bit of a disappointing effort across town at Gulfstream Park West on Oct. 9, when finishing eighth of nine against similar competition as he faces Friday. He has been freshened since, awaiting a return to the local course, where he has registered seven victories, including all five of his wins in 2016.

Whisper Onthe Wind will attempt to teach a bunch of young whippersnappers a thing or two when facing a field made up predominantly of 3-year-olds, a group led by Completely Bonkers, the only other member of the lineup with triple-digit earnings in 2016. Completely Bonkers, a popular item at the claim box earlier this year in New York, has earned $118,040 from just 10 starts on the season, with all three of his victories coming over the turf at Belmont Park.

Completely Bonkers finished a wide-running third in his lone try during the Gulfstream Park West meet. He’ll be making his local debut for trainer Bobby Dibona on Friday.

Niche turned in by far the most impressive performance of his career when beaten just a half-length under similar conditions last month at Gulfstream West, easily outlasting Completely Bonkers for second money. The 91 Beyer Speed Figure Niche received for the effort was 13 points higher than his previous best.

Other contenders include the improving 3-year-old Best Concert, a winner of three of his last four starts for owner-trainer Roger Laurin, and Just Foolin Around.

DiMauro becomes steward

DiMauro may still have a fond spot in his heart for Whisper Onthe Wind, but he’ll have to put those feelings aside Friday in his new position of association steward at Gulfstream Park. DiMauro has replaced Jeff Noe, joining Hall of Fame jockey Don Brumfield and state steward Kevin Scheen in the stand for the championship meeting.

Castellano busy in stakes

Javier Castellano, who has won five consecutive Gulfstream Park riding titles, wasted little time getting started on a sixth, winning with his first mount of the meet, Trickita, in Wednesday’s second race for trainer Todd Pletcher. Castellano, who leads the country in stakes wins, graded stakes wins, and money earned, returns locally with a new agent this winter, former racetrack executive Mike Lakow.

Castellano is named on horses in five of the six stakes races, all for 2-year-olds, on Saturday’s card, including the stakes winner Create a Dream for trainer Chad Brown in the $75,000 Wait a While, which drew a field of 14 juvenile fillies. A field of 14 2-year-old colts and geldings is on tap for the one-mile Pulpit on turf.

The undefeated duo of Fact Finding and Basha are among the eight youngsters who will contest the one-mile Smooth Air. The field also includes Capitaine, who finished third as the odds-on favorite in the Grade 2 Nashua in his New York finale.

Recruiting Ready, second behind Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Classic Empire in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs and second in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special during the summer, will be heavily favored to outsprint eight rivals Saturday in the six-furlong Buffalo Man.

Classic Empire training

Classic Empire was back under tack Wednesday for the first time since arriving at his winter home of Palm Meadows and since his impressive victory in the Breeders’ Cup. Norman Casse, assistant to his father, trainer Mark Casse, said if all goes well, Classic Empire will make his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 Holy Bull on Feb. 4.