Photo: MEC
Overbrook
Farm’s 4-year-old Kentucky homebred colt Armstrong Mill showed promise hitting
the board in all five starts last year, including a close-up third-place finish
in the Saranac Stakes (G3) on turf at Saratoga, and is set to make his 2010
debut in Friday’s ‘a other than’ allowance feature scheduled for 1 3/8 miles on
turf at Gulfstream Park.
Jockey
Rajiv Maragh gets the call on the son of Dynaformer in his first appearance
since finishing second as the favorite in a nine-furlong ‘off the turf’ allowance
at Keeneland on Oct. 31. Armstrong Mill won his career debut on turf at Belmont
Park
on May 23 and was beaten only 1 ½ lengths by the winner in the Saranac at the
Spa in his third start in early September.
Another
lightly-raced 4-year-old contender in the field of eight drawn for Friday’s
race is Lael Stables’ Cozy Lion with Javier Castellano for trainer Barclay
Tagg. The Tale of the Cat gelding was a $310,000 Keeneland September yearling
purchase and rallied to finish a good fourth going one-mile over the Gulfstream
course on Jan. 31 in his first start since breaking his maiden on turf at
Belmont in mid-May.
Completing
the field are My Meadowview Farm’s Nowhere to Hide, Rafael Fernandez’ Primero,
J. Paul Reddam and Willmott Stables’ Chapin Beach, Earle Mack’s Schopenhauer, S
J Stable’s Rainbows Arch and Chiefswood Stable’s Favorite Soup.
Gulfstream
Park
Handicap Highlights Four Stakes Weekend
William
S. Farish and partners’ Grasshopper, A. Steven Miles, Jr.’s Warrior’s Reward
and Overbrook Farm’s Battle Plan are prominent among more than 30 older horses
nominated to the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2) to be run on Sat., Mar.
13 at Gulfstream
Park,
one of four stakes events scheduled that weekend.
In
addition to the 66th edition of the historic Gulfstream Park Handicap to be run
at one mile, the Saturday card will also include the $75,000 Ocala Stakes for
Florida-bred fillies and mares, followed Sunday by renewals of the $200,000
Inside Information Stakes (G2) for fillies and mares at seven furlongs and the
$75,000 Sunshine State Stakes for Florida-bred older horses at seven furlongs.
Grasshopper
is best-known for finishing second by a half-length in the 2007 Travers Stakes
(G1) at Saratoga
behind Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Street Sense for trainer Neil Howard. The
6-year-old homebred son of Dixie Union has had mixed success since, but looked
good winning a one-mile allowance race over the track here on Feb. 3 in his
first start since April and first for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.
Warrior’s
Reward won the Hutcheson Stakes (G2) here last winter for trainer Ian Wilkes
and also was impressive winning his 2010 season debut here in a seven-furlong
allowance on Feb. 11. The son of Medaglia d’Oro finished third in the Dwyer
Stakes (G2) at Belmont
Park
and second in the Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga
in other good tries.
Battle
Plan is an intriguing prospect as the regally-bred 5-year-old by Empire Maker
out of recently-deceased champion filly Flanders
has made only four career starts for trainer Todd Pletcher, winning the last
three at Gulfstream by big margins. Battle Plan scored by five lengths going 1
1/8 miles here on Feb. 18 in his first start in more than a year.
Other
accomplished stakes performers on the Gulfstream
Park
roster include Jay Em Ess Stable’s Arson Squad, P.A.R.J. Stable’s Delightful
Kiss, Michael Tabor and partners’ Munnings, Paul Pompa, Jr. and partners’ This
One for Phil and Estate of Edmund Gann’s pair of Motovato and You and I Forever.
Leading
nominees for the Inside Information include Edward P. Evans’ Casanova Move,
runner-up in the Davona Dale Stakes (G2) and Bonnie Miss (G2) here last year;
Zayat Stable’s Kays and Jays, winner of the Hurricane Bertie Stakes (G2) over
the track on Feb. 13 after shipping from California; and Marc Keller’s emerging
star Qualia, winner of two allowance races at the meet.
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