Weekend Watch: 'Springboard' to the Pegasus, Derby on tap

By: Ashley Tamulonis
Photo: Eclipse Sportswire

Each weekend, Horse Racing Nation previews the top races to tune into coast to coast and runs down the main contenders. Post times are all in Eastern Time.

Saturday


Gulfstream Park's first major weekend of the meet

Audible continues his comeback in the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes, a race which will be used as a prep for next month’s Pegasus World Cup Invitational. The Into Mischief colt was a top contender on this year’s Kentucky Derby trail, ultimately finishing third in the main event. Trainer Todd Pletcher shelved him for the rest of the summer before bringing the colt back in last month’s Cherokee Run Stakes for a two-length win on Breeders' Cup Saturday. This should be another easy spot for Audible. He will face just five others with the competition led by Argentinean Grade 1 winner and Pletcher stablemate 
Village King.

It’s the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale Stakes that will offer the best betting opportunity among the stakes lineup. The 1 1/8-mile turf race drew an overflow field with Projected
installed as the tepid 4-1 favorite. With Chad Brown as the trainer, it is hardly surprising that the 6-year old gelding is favored on the morning line. However, I’m skipping over Projected, who hasn't won in more than a year, in favor of the Pletcher-trained Hi Happy, who has been a pretty consistent top-level performer. I also prefer the Brown-trained Almanaar over his stablemate, Qurbaan. At 10-1 on the morning line, Almanaar is 2: 1-1-0 at Gulfstream Park and 3: 2-0-1 at the distance. His last two races haven’t been anything to write home about, but three races back he was the runner-up in the Arlington Million (G1). The field also includes millionaires Divisidero
and Oscar Nominated.

The Harlan’s Holiday is the first stakes race on the card and is bookended by the Fort Lauderdale. In between those two are the Grade 3 Rampart Stakes, the Grade 3 My Charmer Stakes, and the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl Stakes. None of those three attracted significant contenders but will be instrumental in multi-race wagers.

G3 Harlan’s Holiday 2:01 p.m.

G3 Rampart 3:34 p.m.

G3 My Charmer 4:05 p.m.

G3 Sugar Swirl 4:36 p.m.

G2 Fort Lauderdale 5:06 p.m.

World of Trouble looking for one more win in 2018

World of Trouble was involved in one of the most exciting Breeders’ Cup races of the year when the sophomore colt did all the dirty work in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, only to be nipped by Stormy Liberal. Trainer John Servis will send out his multiple stakes winner in Tampa Bay Downs’ seven-furlong FTBOA Marion County Florida Sire Stakes, a significant class drop as it is restricted to 3-year olds that are FTBOA registered Florida-breds and sired by an FTBOA registered Florida stallion. After racing on turf in his last three starts, this race will represent World of Trouble’s return to dirt. Post time is 3:22 p.m.

Sunday

King Glorious Galilean's next step

Los Alamitos' King Glorious Stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds once launched the career of California Chrome. Galilean, the Jerry Hollendorfer trainee who broke his maiden in stakes company over the same track, leads a cast of seven for Sunday's race. The Uncle Mo colt battled Bob Baffert-trained Cruel Intention to a neck defeat last out in Santa Anita's Golden State Juvenile, but this time he won't have to face that one going a flat mile. Post time is 6:28 p.m. ET.

The Derby trail goes through Remington Park

This year’s Springboard Mile at Remington Park is the second edition to be included on the Kentucky Derby trail, with the Top 4 finishers awarded points on a 10-4-2-1 basis. Additionally, the Top 3 runners will get an automatic nomination to the 2019 Oklahoma Derby with the winner earning a fees-paid berth. For 2-year olds, the race is topped by 8-5 morning line favorite Epic Dreamer. The Orb colt broke his maiden at second asking when traveling 1 1/16-miles at Belmont Park. He will break from the rail for trainer Kelly Breen. Trainer Steve Asmussen will send out second choice Bankit, winner of the restricted Sleepy Hollow Stakes at Belmont, and Long Range Toddy, winner of the Clever Trevor Stakes, the local prep for the Springboard Mile. Eight others fill out the field, with five in all trained by Asmussen. Post time is 8:52 p.m.

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