Yes I Am Free must overcome fast pace, high weight and, perhaps, a surface switch

Weather and pace could well go a long ways in determining the outcome of Saturday’s main event at Gulfstream Park, a $60,000 overnight handicap carded at five furlongs on the turf. Yes I Am Free, winner of the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint in February, goes postward the 125 pound highweight and will concede from 3 to 10 pounds to his nine rivals while in search of his third win in four starts in 2023.

Turf racing was canceled at Gulfstream on Thursday due to heavy rain earlier in the week, and with more precipitation in the forecast on Friday, there is a good chance the headliner could wind up being switched to the Tapeta course. A change in surface would certainly not favor Yes I Am Free, who is winless in three starts over a synthetic track.

The prospect of a lively pace could also work against Yes I Am Free, who led throughout when he defended his Gulfstream Park Sprint title with a half-length victory over Carotari. He was also on the lead at every call capturing an allowance race in game fashion to launch the current campaign, and led most of the way before succumbing grudgingly to Big Invasion when second in the Silks Run in his most recent start five weeks ago.

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Yes I Am Free should receive a stiff challenge for the early advantage from Warrior’s Pride, who makes his first start since finishing a tiring ninth after contesting a lively pace in the Da Hoss Stakes late last summer at Colonial Downs. A multiple turf sprint stakes winner, Warrior’s Pride has changed hands since that outing and is under the tutelage of Ruben Sierra.

Chess Master will make his first start for trainer Mike Maker after being haltered for $62,500 out of a sixth-place finish earlier this month. The 7-year-old had a tardy beginning in the five-furlong turf dash after having shown plenty of early foot in his two previous starts, including a gate-to-wire 4 3/4-length triumph in the Turf Dash at Tampa Bay Downs in mid-February.

Neither Warrior’s Pride nor Chess Master has won over a synthetic track.

A suicidal pace scenario and a switch in venue to the Tapeta would prove a big plus for the Fernando Abreu-trained pair of Famous Gent and Souper Success. Both do their best running at the end and have had considerable success on synthetic surfaces. Famous Gent has three wins and 11 top-three finishes in 16 tries on synthetic, and Souper Success has five victories and 11 first or second finishes in 24 starts over synthetic tracks.

Famous Gent is in peak form, having registered two wins and a second in three starts since he was claimed by Abreu for a bargain $20,000 on Feb. 2. The 7-year-old Souper Success is exiting a second-place finish against mid-level starter allowance competition on the Tapeta six weeks ago.

“It should definitely help us if the race came off the grass,” Abreu said.

“On paper, it figures to be a very fast pace. Both of my horses will be back there early, one probably a little further than the other, and if they go real quick up front I think they both should have a really big chance of running them down.”

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