Robert LaPenta’s Cool Coal Man, PARJ Stable’s Delightful
Kiss and Bea Oxenberg’s Hey Byrn have each won graded stakes races in the past
at Gulfstream
Park,
and the trio have fallen into the same spot to launch their 2010 campaigns in
Friday’s allowance feature at seven furlongs.
Jockey John R. Velazquez rides 5-year-old Cool Coal Man for
trainer Nick Zito as he bids to climb back up into the major stakes ranks
nearly two years after he won the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2). After
finishing 15th of 20 behind Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby (G1) the son of
Mineshaft would finish third to that rival again in the Haskell Invitational
(G1) at Monmouth
Park
that summer.
Cool Coal Man ran a very big race to win his 2009 season
debut here late last January before narrow defeats when second in the Excelsior
Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct and Alysheba Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. He would
go on to score in overnight stakes at Belmont Park and Saratoga, but made little
impression when seventh in the Woodward (G1) at the Spa and fifth in the
Meadowlands Cup (G2), the last on Oct. 16.
Delightful Kiss also got his 2009 season off to a strong
start winning the Hal’s Hope Stakes (G3) here by three lengths under jockey
Calvin Borel, who had ridden him through a strong 2008 season. He closed out
the year with a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon at Santa
Anita and runner-up effort behind Einstein in the Clark Handicap (G2) at
Churchill Downs for trainer Pete Anderson.
A 6-year-old roan/gray gelding by Kissin Kris, Delightful
Kiss also was a good 3-year-old, posting his biggest scores in the Ohio Derby
(G2) and Iowa Derby for owner-breeder Hobeau Farm. Delightful Kiss makes his
first start since a dull try finishing 10th of 11 in the Canadian Turf (G3)
here on Feb. 28 with jockey Juan Leyva named to ride and PARJ Stable as owner.
Jockey Edgar Prado gets the call on 5-year-old Hey Byrn for
trainer Eddie Plesa, Jr. as he bids for his first trip to the winners’ circle
since an allowance victory here last January. The son of Put It Back captured
the 2008 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) by 2 ¼ lengths, a performance that earned him a
trip to the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico where he seventh behind that
year’s Florida Derby (G1) hero Big Brown.
Completing the field of six older horses drawn for Friday’s
feature going as the third race are Lawrence Carroll’s Bold Start, Kent
Desormeaux; E. Paul Robsham Stables’ Giant Deputy, Javier Castellano; and
Rainmom Partners’ Momsboy, Elaine Castillo.
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