Wilkes encouraged by McCormick's development

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A big effort on turf at Gulfstream Park last month was all it took for trainer Ian Wilkes to get excited about McCormick again.

“I’m very happy with the way he’s come back as a 4-year-old,” said Wilkes. “I’m encouraged.”

Sunday at Gulfstream, McCormick will have Julien Leparoux back aboard when he looks to improve on a narrow Jan. 15 miss at the same condition in the 11th of 12 races, a $52,000 second-level allowance at a mile on turf. First post is noon Eastern, with the feature scheduled for 5:16 and the Rainbow 6 spanning races 7 through 12.

McCormick, a Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred, is among a core of favorites in a competitive eight-horse field that also includes Secretary At War, Nileator, and the uncoupled Chad Brown duo of Deeply Undervalued and Funtastic. It’s one of three turf allowances on the day, along with a pair $51,000 first-level routes carded as races 1 and 4.

Wilkes, meanwhile, said his more accomplished Whitham 4-year-old McCraken is very near a first official work after recently being sent through an easy, untimed breeze at the Palm Meadows training center. He added that his unbeaten Kentucky Oaks hopeful Cicatrix also has been training forwardly toward her next start in the March 3 Davona Dale at Gulfstream.