Armstrong Mill Tops Thursday Feature
Overbrook Farm’s 4-year-old Kentucky homebred colt Armstrong Mill is graded stakes-placed and hasn’t missed the board in six career starts for trainer Christophe Clement, but will take advantage of his allowance conditions to run in Thursday’s eighth race feature at Gulfstream Park.
Jockey Rajiv Maragh will ride Armstrong Mill in the 1 1/8 miles turf test in the wake of his big day Saturday riding 3-year-old Mission Impazible to victory in the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds for trainer Todd Pletcher.
A son of Dynaformer, Armstrong Mill won his career debut on turf at Belmont Park in May last year by a nose, but has posted three thirds and two seconds in five starts since then, including a strong third-place try in the Saranac Stakes (G3) at Saratoga in early September, beaten only 1 ½ lengths by Al Khali.
In his only start this year, Armstrong Mill finished second by a head as the favorite in an 11-furlong allowance over the Gulfstream course on Mar. 5 with Maragh aboard in his first outing since finishing second as the favorite in a Keeneland turf allowance on Oct. 31.
Another contender in the field of eight drawn for Thursday’s race is Earle Mack’s 5-year-old Schopenhauer with Joe Bravo aboard for trainer Dennis Manning. The son of Giant’s Causeway finished fourth behind Armstrong Mill in the Mar. 5 allowance here in his first start since mid-November and was beaten less than a length for it all in the blanket finish.
Completing the field are The Mirage Ranch’s Stormy Mirage, Eddie Castro; Jacks or Better Farm’s Cat’n Fiddle, Eduardo Nunez; Roman Hill Farm’s Blazen, Jeremy Rose; Jeffrey Amling’s Nacho Corona, Jesus Castanon; Castle Peak Farm’s Grey Boundary, Luis Saez; and Laura Buenaventura’s Arhat, Rosemary Homeister, Jr.
Biofuel Breezing Toward Return at Palm Meadows
When last seen under colors, Brereton Jones’ Kentucky homebred filly Biofuel was flying down the outside in the stretch of the $ 2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita on Nov. 6 and finished fourth, beaten only 1 ½ lengths for it all by She Be Wild.
Biofuel continues preparation for her first start since the Breeders’ Cup at Palm Meadows for trainer Reade Baker and breezed five furlongs in 1:02 flat Sunday morning. The daughter of Stormin Fever won the Mazarine Stakes (G3) at Woodbine by 4 ½ lengths in October before her good try at 20-to-1 in the Juvenile Fillies when she was bumped solidly in mid-stretch.
Trainer Todd Pletcher had a trio of stakes runners hit the Sunday morning work tab at Palm Meadows. Mrs. John Magnier and partners’ 4-year-old Munnings was timed five-eighths in 1:02 4/5. The son of Speightstown won the Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship (G2) on Feb. 13 in his only start this year and is expected to run next in the Carter Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct on Apr. 3.
WinStar Farm’s 3-year-old Super Saver posted the ‘bullet’ for five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 in his first workout since a game third-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on Mar. 31 in his first start since winning the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) by five lengths at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28.
The son of Maria’s Mon was beaten only a half-length for it all in the Tampa Bay race and is expected to have his final Kentucky Derby (G1) tune-up in either the Wood Memorial (G1) at Aqueduct on Apr. 3 or Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park on Apr. 10.
Pletcher also had Dogwood Stable’s Derby hopeful Aikenite out to breeze five furlongs in 1:01 2/5, sharing the ‘bullet’ for the distance with Super Saver. A son of Yes It’s True, Aikenite finished a well-beaten third last out in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream on Feb. 30 behind Pletcher-trained stablemate Eskendereya. Aikenite gets his final Derby tune-up in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland on Apr. 10.