'Consistent performer' Sombeyay stays on turf in Gulfstream's Appleton
Starlight Racing’s Sombeyay, who became a graded stakes winner on a second surface last time out, can add to his growing turf resume when he returns to Gulfstream Park for Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Appleton.
The 68th running of the one-mile Appleton for 4-year-olds and up is part of a blockbuster 14-race program that includes 10 stakes, six graded, worth $1.825 million anchored by the Florida Derby (G1). First post time is 11:30 a.m.
A $230,000 yearling of 2017, Sombeyay began his career on the dirt, winning the Sanford (G3) and finishing fourth in the Hopeful (G1) in the summer of 2018 at Saratoga. He made two starts last year before trainer Todd Pletcher put him on turf in the 5 ½-furlong Quick Call (G3), also at the Spa, where he was fourth over a yielding course.
Pletcher sent Sombeyay to the sidelines following a nose loss to Casa Creed in the one-mile National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (G2) last August, and the Into Mischief colt didn’t return until opening his 4-year-old campaign with a runner-up finish in a 7 ½-furlong optional claimer Jan. 26 at Gulfstream.
The effort earned Sombeyay another shot at graded competition, this time on the turf, and he responded with a determined one-length triumph in the one-mile Canadian Turf (G3) Jan. 26 over the local course.
“He seems to really like the course here and I think the distance suits him well. He’s been a pretty consistent performer and seems to show up every time and give us a good effort,” Pletcher said. “He’s won graded stakes on two different surfaces now, and that’s hard to do. He seems to have kind of found his home on the turf so we plan on keeping him on it for the time being, but he consistently runs well under any conditions."
Luis Saez will ride Sombeyay from Post 10 at co-topweight of 124 pounds.
Pletcher also entered stakes winners Social Paranoia and Halladay, the latter listed as the second of four also-eligibles in an overflow field of 16. The Elkstone Group’s Social Paranoia has not raced since his half-length victory in the 1 5/16-mile Dueling Grounds Derby Sept. 8, and has placed in four career graded-stakes including the Belmont Derby (G1) last July.
“He’s a quality horse and he’s coming off a big win in Kentucky,” Pletcher said. “He ran very well first time off a little bit of a layoff at Gulfstream last year. While he still has some allowance conditions left, we just felt like we’d go ahead and give it a try in here and hopefully get his year under way. I think he’s the kind of horse that could have a very productive season.”
Halladay won his lone previous start at Gulfstream in the Dec. 28 Tropical Park Derby, contested at 1 1/16 miles, and exits a fourth-place finish, beaten 2 ¼ lengths in the Tampa Bay (G3) Feb. 8.
“It was a pretty roughly run race at Tampa. He was part of that objection at the top of the stretch when they got bounced around a little bit,” Pletcher said. “I think he likes the Gulfstream course. It’s a big field and a very difficult race but I think when he’s on his ‘A’ game he fits, and he’s certainly been training like he’s ready to run as well as he’s capable of.”
Trainer Graham Motion entered the pair of English Bee and Regally Irish, listed as the third also-eligible. Calumet Farm homebred English Bee, winner of the Virginia Derby (G3) last summer at Colonial Downs, was second by a half-length to Sombeyay in the Canadian Turf.
“English Bee is coming off a pretty solid effort. I would say it was his best race to date. I’m a little reluctant to run him back so quickly, but with the scenario that we have right now it’s also hard to pass up on a race when you don’t know when you’re going to be running again,” Motion said.
“That was a much deeper group than he has kind of had to compete against or that he’s been able to compete against before,” he added. “I think the mile and maybe the turf course and a really good ride all kind of played into it. I really like this horse. He’s a blue-collar, hard-knocking tough little horse and I was really tickled to see him run so well last time.”
Isabelle de Tomaso’s homebred Regally Irish became a stakes winner in Aqueduct’s six-furlong Bridgetown last spring but hit the board just once in five subsequent starts, was gelded and given time off. Should he draw in, the Appleton would be his first race since Oct. 4.
“Regally Irish is coming off a long break. He showed moments of being really good last year and ended up being a little disappointing. He had a throat issue, a wind issue, which we did surgery on and gave him the winter off and also gelded him,” Motion said. “He’s been training really well. I’m quite excited to get him back started.”
Three Diamonds Farm’s Hembree will be looking for his first win since taking the 7 ½-furlong El Prado last February at Gulfstream. One of two in the Appleton for trainer Mike Maker, the 6-year-old was unable to make up enough ground from his customary late-running position in the Canadian Turf and wound up eighth, though beaten only three lengths.
“He’s a deep closer and pace dependent. He got the pace the last time but the horses just weren’t coming back,” Maker said. “He’s a horse that shows up every time. He’s been very consistent for us and if not for a couple lengths he’d have made a lot [more] money.”
Maker is also represented by WSS Racing and Hooties Racing’s Mr Dumas. Winner of the Commonwealth Turf (G3) last fall for previous trainer John Ortiz, he debuted for Maker with a seventh-place finish in the Canadian Turf, a neck ahead of Hembree.