Gunnevera to prep for Woodward Stakes at Gulfstream Park

Multiple-graded stakes winner Gunnevera breezed five furlongs in a minute-flat at Gulfstream Park West Saturday morning in preparation for an expected return Friday at Gulfstream Park.

“I’m very happy with his work,” trainer Antonio Sano said. “He galloped out very good.”

The workout, the fastest of 26 recorded at the distance, was the seventh in a series of workouts in preparation for a return from a four-month layoff.

Sano is pointing Gunnevera to a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance race.

The 4-year-old son of Dialed In hasn’t seen action since exiting an eighth-place finish in the $10 million Dubai World Cup (G1) with a nasty hoof injury. The Kentucky-bred 4-year-old was freshened in Ocala for two months to give the hoof time to heal before returning to Sano’s Gulfstream Park West stable.

“After Friday’s race we are looking at the Woodward,” said Sano, referring to the 1 1/8-mile Grade 1 race at Saratoga Aug. 1.

A year ago, Gunnevera made a return from a layoff to capture the 1 1/16-mile Tangelo Stakes at Gulfstream in preparation for a start in the Travers (G1), in which he finished second behind West Coast and ahead of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Always Dreaming, Preakness (G1) victor Cloud Computing and Belmont Stakes (G1) champion Tapwrit.

Gunnevera also demonstrated a distinct fondness for the Saratoga racing while winning the 2016 Sanford (G2).

The late-running colt also won the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot (G3) to cap his juvenile season before going on to win the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) the following year.

Gunnevera, who capped his 3-year-old season with a fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar, finished third in the Jan. 27 $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream before venturing to Dubai.