Wide-open fields in Melody of Colors, Texas Glitter

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Any given horse race presents its own set of unknowns, but two $75,000 turf-sprint stakes on Gulfstream Park’s Saturday card seem particularly vexing. Lightly raced and relatively unproven are common traits among the nine 3-year-olds in both the Melody of Colors and its male counterpart, the Texas Glitter, and good luck to horseplayers trying to figure it all out.

Both five-furlong races will be run during the latter half of a 13-race Saturday card and will be slotted on either side of the main event, the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope. Neither has a sure-fire favorite, and both are included in the Rainbow 6 (races 8-13) and late pick five (races 9-13).

Melody of Colors

The most intriguing filly in the field also happens to have drawn the services of the sizzling-hot Irad Ortiz Jr., and that’s Ginger Nut, who has shipped cross country from California for Hronis Racing and John Sadler to make her North American debut. Following eight starts in England at 2, the Irish-bred filly will be treated with Lasix for the first time after 15 recorded works since early November at Santa Anita.

Another shipper from a powerhouse stable is Play On, in from New Orleans for Brad Cox. The Klein Racing homebred shows six works since posting her second career victory in a Dec. 20 off-the-turf allowance at Fair Grounds.

It’s difficult to say how those two invaders will match up with a handful of fillies who have been racing (and winning) here at Gulfstream, those being Beechwood Ella, Just Ain’t Right, Catch a Thrill, and Don’t Make Fun. Of those locals, Beechwood Ella may draw the most wagering action after going last-to-first with flair in a Jan. 31 allowance score for trainer Patrick Biancone, although Don’t Make Fun owns the field-high Beyer Speed Figure (81) from a last-out maiden triumph and now adds Javier Castellano.

Texas Glitter

A rematch from a maiden turf-sprint last month at Gulfstream is the most compelling angle to a race honoring Texas Glitter, who won nine stakes from 1998-2002 as a standout turf sprinter for Todd Pletcher.

Coincidentally, Pletcher has one of the principals from that key Jan. 17 race in Standup, who was absolutely flying at race’s end when making his career debut and coming three-quarters of a length shy of nailing Yes I Am Free, who also gave a sterling effort when being unveiled by Mark Casse.

Aside from those two, the other main players include R Boy Bode, a two-back winner for Averill Racing and partners; Never Have I Ever, claimed from a winning debut by the meet’s leading trainer, Jorge Navarro; and Jackson, who lost all chance in his latest with a slow start in the Grade 3 Swale.