X Y Jet, Delta Bluesman must wait after Mr. Prospector fails to fill

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Jorge Navarro was looking forward to getting both X Y Jet and Delta Bluesman back to action at Gulfstream Park on Monday in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector. But he’s going to have to wait at least several days longer than planned after the race died with only five horses in the entry box, three of them from Navarro’s barn, when entries closed late Wednesday morning.

According to stakes coordinator Mike Costanzo, plans are for the Mr. Prospector to be re-carded sometime during New Year’s weekend. The six-furlong fixture attracted only 14 nominations.

X Y Jet won last year’s Mr. Prospector by better than nine lengths. Navarro is hoping to use the race as a stepping-stone for X Y Jet to regain the form that led to an invitation to the Dubai Golden Shaheen, where X Y Jet finished second last March.

“We really want to qualify him for Dubai again,” said Navarro. “And I’ve spoken to the racing manager and he’s got races picked out at the Fair Grounds and New York just in case. But I can wait another week – that’s fine – if they use the race the following weekend. If not, we’ll have to take them both somewhere else.”

Both X Y Jet and Delta Bluesman turned in bullet works of four and five furlongs, respectively, at Gulfstream Park West on Tuesday in preparation for the Mr. Prospector. Delta Bluesman has not started since his troubled sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Navarro also entered his up-and-coming prospect Shaft and Light in the Mr. Prospector.