Wins streaks on the line in deep turf sprint

MIAMI – Something will have to give in Friday’s seventh race at Gulfstream Park West, where half the eight-horse field enters the $47,000 optional-claiming co-feature sporting win streaks – a group that includes the improving former claimer Gran Saman, who seeks his fourth consecutive victory in the five-furlong turf dash.

Gran Saman ran arguably the best rest of his career in his crosstown finale Sept. 27 at Gulfstream Park, rallying to a 1 1/4-length optional-claiming win for which he received a 79 Beyer Speed Figure. Trained by Steve Klesaris, Gran Saman began his current streak with a pair of narrow, hard-fought wins against $10,000 claiming opposition.

“We claimed him for $16,000 out of the second start of his life, and it just took him time to mature and grow into his nice-looking frame,” said Klesaris, whose local string is under the care of his wife, Lillian. “We’ve been trying to teach him to rate, and that seems to have opened up a whole new dimension for him. He seems much more effective with that kind of running style. He’ll be catching a lot tougher group at this level on Friday, but I’m really excited about his last performance and hopeful he can keep the streak going.”

Also riding a three-race winning streak is I’m Cardinal, who rose from the depths of the claiming ranks over the past 3 1/2 months to defeat statebred allowance types here Oct. 7. That effort also produced a career-best 82 Beyer for the 8-year-old veteran, who has amassed 14 victories in 51 career opportunities.

Of course, Gran Saman and I’m Cardinal’s current streaks pale in comparison to the likely favorite, Gran Malbec, who has posted five consecutive wins, all in turf sprints and in front-running fashion. He defeated Florida-bred allowance opposition in his Gulfstream Park finale nine weeks ago, although he has yet to set foot over the local course.

Green Mansions, a winner of his last two starts; veteran turf sprinter Very Colorful; Epic Drama; Teak, who is taking blinkers off; and Blue Chip Prospect complete the field.

Klesaris also has a key contender, Seven Gems, in the co-featured fifth race, to be run under similar optional-claiming conditions at a mile on the dirt.

Seven Gems was transferred to Klesaris’s barn following a six-length conditioned-claiming win on the turf at Penn National late this summer. He was scheduled to make his South Florida debut on the grass here last month, but the race was washed onto the main track. The 3-year-old son of Gemologist showed his versatility by running a game second, beaten a nose by Blue Harbor, after leading nearly every step of the $30,000 claiming event.

“All these turf horses had very few opportunities to run up North this season because of the weather, which is why the owner sent him down here with me,” Klesaris said. “We figured his dirt races hadn’t been that bad, so we decided to keep him in last time despite the surface change, and I was extremely impressed by his effort. He gutted it out pretty good, which makes me very excited about bringing him back on the dirt again Friday.”

Seven Gems will meet just six rivals, with Chovanes the likely choice, having won four of his last five starts prior to shipping south for the winter. The lightly raced but promising Ercolano, the recently claimed Minute Madness, New York-bred invader Born for a Storm, Motown Man, and All Golden round out the field.

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