Decisive Moment Back in Allowance Ranks

Just For Fun Stable’s 4-year-old Florida homebred colt Decisive Moment has banked more than $707,000 with four victories in 21 career starts for trainer Juan Arias, but hasn’t visited the winner’s circle since capturing the $125,000 Delta Mile at Delta Downs on Nov. 19, 2011.

Wednesday, Decisive Moment is entered to run in the $60,500 allowance feature at Gulfstream Park going one mile in a field of six, marking the first time he has run in anything but a stakes race since the third start of his career as a 2-year-old at Calder. The son of With Distinction finished fourth last out behind Prospective when attempting to defend his Delta Mile title.

Career highlights for Decisive Moment have included finishing second in the $1 million Delta Jackpot (G3) in the fall of 2010 and runner-up to Animal Kingdom in the Spiral Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park in 2011 before finishing 14th of 19 behind that one in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

Decisive Moment will be equipped with ‘blinkers on’ for Wednesday race. “As horses get older you sometimes have to change their menu a little bit, shake them up,” said Arias Saturday morning from his Calder headquarters.

“This is a tough little field, but he ran pretty well over there against tougher horses last winter,” referring to finishing fifth behind Jackson Bend in the Hal’s Hope Stakes (G3) and fifth behind Force Freeze in the Gulfstream Sprint Championship (G2). “We hope he’ll get a little confidence back in this race.”

The field for Wednesday’s feature may be small, but Decisive Moment is not the only experienced stakes performer in the field with his rivals including Golden Goose Enterprises and James Covell’s 5-year-old Citrus Kid for trainer john Terranova and Lets Go Stable’s 3-year-old El Padrino for trainer Todd Pletcher.