Global Campaign, Edgeway in 5 can’t-miss weekend races

A trio of added-money races across Gulfstream Park and Oaklawn Park lead this weekend’s racing action, but on those respective undercards are other events that stand to produce future stakes runners, including a competitive allowance for older horses we’ll highlight on the list below.

Here’s what to watch for in post time order…

RELATED: Gulfstream Park entries and Oaklawn Park entries

Saturday’s sixth race at Oaklawn Park (4:10 p.m. ET)

Last weekend, the connections of John Sadler and Hronis Racing sent out Flagstaff for a late-running second in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3). Their St. Joe Bay, another older one-turn specialist, drops out of stakes company to lead this six-furlong allowance optional claiming event. An 8-year-old Saint Anddan gelding, St. Joe Bay won the 2019 San Carlos (G2) at Santa Anita, then a year later finished sixth off the bench in the 2020 renewal most recently. He's up for the optional $80,000 tag. Gray Attempt and Wilbo are both Oaklawn stakes winners appearing here as well.

Saturday’s eighth race at Gulfstream Park (4:21 p.m. ET)

Scars Are Cool, a Sagamore Farm runner trained by Stanley Hough, performed well enough in breaking his maiden last year to go straight into the Travers Stakes (G1). The Malibu Moon colt has only won once since then in November at Churchill Downs but shows a number of strong runners ahead of him in defeats, including the recent graded winner Trophy Chaser. Here, he’s the 3-1 second choice on the morning line in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claimer with Todd Pletcher-trained Legit 2-for-3 in his career. An open-lengths winner in two 2018 starts, Legit was third off the bench on March 6 but figures to enjoy added distance Saturday.

Saturday’s 11th race at Gulfstream Park (5:57 p.m. ET)

Seven furlongs may ultimately prove shorter than Global Campaign would like to go, but after compiling a 3-0-1 record in five starts last season while dealing with multiple foot issues, the 4-year-old Curlin colt lands in this deep allowance race. At 6-1, there’s value in the Hough/Sagamore runner who brings big hopes into this season. Pletcher trains the top two morning line choice with Soldado (2-1) a winner of consecutive local allowances and Spinoff (7-2), who ran in the 2019 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, away since last summer, when he won an allowance at Saraotga before sidelined.

Sunday’s 10th race at Gulfstream Park (5:25 p.m. ET)

Owner Dean Reeves is always looking for a runner, and perhaps he found one in Double Crown, who in his lone start on Sept. 8 defeated Ournationonparade by a neck at Laurel Park. Ournationonparade, another Reeves purchase, went on to beat a future $450,000 auction buy named Laddie Liam. Both of Reeves’ recent acquisitions are present in this six-furlong allowance for 3-year-olds that also sees graded stakes-placed Tomato Bill make his 2020 debut. Hop Kat is another to watch. Trained by Eddie Kenneally, he hasn’t raced since breaking his maiden by eight lengths last May at Churchill Downs.

Sunday’s ninth race at Oaklawn Park (6:09 p.m. ET)

Each of Sekani, High On Gin, Gee She Sparkles and Sassy Seneca are prior stakes-winning sophomore fillies present in this six-furlong allowance optional claimer that also has the stakes winner Maryanorginger on the also-eligible list. But they’ll be out to defeat a 9-5 newcomer in Edgeway, a Competitive Edge colt running for Sadler and Hronis. A $275,000 purchase, Edgeway struck on debut earlier in the meet at this distance before going straight into stakes company, running third behind the talented duo of Kimari and Frank’s Rockette in the April 4 Purple Martin. It was a progression to see Edgeway battle on the lead and hold for third, two lengths back at the wire. In the absence of another stakes spot, she lands here as one to beat.