Gunnevera preps for Travers 2017 in the Tangelo Stakes

Freshened since the Preakness, Gunnevera will make his return Sunday at Gulfstream Park in the Tangelo Stakes. While the $100,000 race will be the smallest event he has run in since breaking his maiden at Gulfstream just over a year ago, it more importantly will serve as the prep for his main goal of the summer, the Grade 1 Travers Stakes, August 26 at Saratoga. 

Remember that it was not all that long ago that the Antonio Sano-trained three-time graded stakes winner looked to be a leader of the division when he blew away a field, which included Practical Joke, Irish War Cry, and Three Rules, by nearly six lengths in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes back in March.

Unfortunately for the chestnut late-runner, he was not able to sustain that type of excellence into the biggest races of the spring. The son of Dialed In tried to rally into each important Grade 1, but could only manage a third-of-ten in the Florida Derby, a seventh-of-twenty in the Kentucky Derby, and a fifth-of-ten in the Preakness.

He came out of the last one at Pimlico less than 100%, and was ready for a break. While the results of the spring were not quite what his connections hoped for, big races of the second-half of the season, and a still wide-open division race, now await him.

The good news is, back at his home base in South Florida, Gunnevera seems to be thriving again. He has been training up a storm of late over the Gulfstream Park West strip, with a serious of good looking works, which include four recent bullets.

Fresh and ready, he should prove a handful on Sunday, where he will face five others going a mile and a sixteenth. Edgard Zayas, will be in the saddle on raceday for the first time on Sunday, but has been riding him regularly in the mornings.

The others in the field in his return race include; Front Loaded, Arrecife, Unbridled Holiday, Manolete, and Prince Tito. They are far from a murderer's row. It should serve as a good confidence builder for Gunnevera.

While running in, and very likely winning the Tangelo Stakes, will be one thing, the question remains -- can Gunnevera get back among the leaders of the division? The answer could very well be yes.

This three-year-old male division has taken turns beating each other, so a freshened and classy colt, who can finish off his races strongly, and who likes the track, could prove a very dangerous commodity in what looks to be a very wide-open edition of the Travers. Keep in mind, it was at Saratoga, where he first became a graded stakes winner, thanks to this impressive, rallying victory in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special.