Wild Zambezi stands out in Friday optional-claiming feature

Wild Zambezi jumps off the page in Friday’s featured eighth race at Gulfstream Park West. In his last start, he ran second to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile entrant Souper Colossal, and his Beyer Speed Figures tower over most all of his rivals in the $75,000 optional-claiming route for 2-year-olds that carries first-level allowance conditions.

In addition, Wild Zambezi’s dam was a Grade 1 winner, and his trainer, Todd Pletcher, is hitting at a 24 percent rate at the meet in Florida.

The Gulfstream Park West card also includes a $25,000 optional-claiming turf sprint that drew the promising 3-year-old Back to Seattle. It goes as the fifth race Friday.

Wild Zambezi ran second to Souper Colossal in the $101,000 Sapling at Monmouth on Aug. 31, chasing the winner, who wired the field by 5 1/2 lengths. Following that start, Souper Colossal was targeted for the BC Juvenile, which will be run Saturday, and he made a splash the other morning at Santa Anita when he worked five furlongs in a bullet 57.40 seconds in his final prep for the $2 million race in Southern California.

KEY CONTENDERS

Wild Zambezi (Last 3 Beyers: 77-74-46)

◗ He will attempt to become the fourth next-out winner to emerge from the six-horse Sapling. So far, every starter who has come out of the race has won their race. Pride of Stride and Chase Lane, who finished third and fifth, both returned to capture $40,000 optional-claiming allowances at Laurel, while sixth-place finisher Posse Dreamin accounted for the $62,400 Jersey Juvenile at Monmouth.

◗ Wild Zambezi is well versed at the one-mile distance of Friday’s feature. He captured a maiden special weight race at the distance at Monmouth in his second career start Aug. 10, then ran second at the trip in the Sapling.

◗ He has pedigree in spades as a son of Giant’s Causeway and the mare Wild Spirit, a Group 1 and Grade 1 winner whose victories include the Ruffian and Delaware Park handicaps. Overall, she earned $984,690, and in her second career as a broodmare, she has produced the stakes winner Diva Spirit.

◗ Edgard Zayas, who led the standings at Gulfstream Park West through Tuesday, has the mount for Sumaya US Stables.

G Five (Last 2 Beyers: 65-34)

◗ He won a $25,000 maiden-claiming sprint by 8 1/4 lengths in his last start, and since the race, three horses he defeated have returned to win maiden-claiming races at Gulfstream Park West.