Promising Night Prowler Tops Palm Beach

Night Prowler’s development into a most promising graded-stakes winner shouldn’t be viewed as a surprise after taking a glance at his pedigree. What may come as more of a surprise is how his owner, Paul Pompa Jr., could have allowed the son of Giant’s Causeway and multiple-graded stakes-winning Mary’s Follies to be gelded before his racing career got under way.

Trainer Chad Brown, however, credits the prominent Thoroughbred owner and breeder with making a very wise decision that has allowed Night Prowler to blossom as a racehorse.

“He’s a nice horse. We got him last summer as a 2-year-old and he was training really average,” Brown said. “He was a nervous horse. Mr. Pompa agreed to let us geld the horse. He’s a good horseman, himself. He said, ‘Let’s geld the horse and give him a chance.’”

Despite not showing much interest in running as a colt, Night Prowler has demonstrated a keen competitive spirit as a gelding.

“Before he was gelded, he wasn’t really into it,” said Brown, who is scheduled to saddle Night Prowler for a start in Saturday’s $150,000 Palm Beach (G3) at Gulfstream Park. “Gelding doesn’t help every horse, but it helped him.”

Pompa’s homebred gelding is slated to seek his second straight graded-stakes score in the Palm Beach, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes that attracted a field of 11 3-year-olds when entries were taken Wednesday. In his most recent start, the Kentucky-bred colt closed from well off the pace to capture the Dania Beach (G3) at Gulfstream on Jan. 3. Previously, he was forced to swing seven wide into the stretch before launching a rally that fell a head short of catching Brown-trained Chief Kitten in the Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream Park West on Nov. 29. Night Prowler began his career at Belmont Park with a third-place finish before breaking through with a 2 ½-length maiden triumph on Oct. 17.

“He’s a homebred, which makes it even more special for the owner. He’s out of a good mare that he raced. As soon as we gelded the horse, he turned it around. It’s been really rewarding to see him develop as he has,” said Brown, who awarded the return mount to Javier Castellano for the Palm Beach. “He trained very average during the summer with behavioral issues. And now he’s a graded-stakes winner. I think there are more graded-stakes wins for him in the future.”

Three Chimneys Farm and Besilu Stables’ Dubai Sky is entered to seek his second consecutive stakes victory and first graded-stakes success in the Palm Beach. The Bill Mott-trained colt has captured three races in a row, since debuting at Saratoga with a third-place finish in August. Following a maiden-breaker at Belmont and a first-level optional claiming allowance event at Gulfstream on Dec. 20, the son of Candy Ride made a victorious stakes debut in the $100,000 Kitten’s Joy on Jan. 24.

Dubai Sky set or pressed the pace throughout the mile turf event before prevailing by a head.

“He doesn’t give you more than he has to, but he always seems to have a little more left,” said Mott, who named John Velazquez to return to the saddle aboard Dubai Sky.

Ol Memorial Stable’s Croninthebarbarian, who has been competitive with Night Prowler and Dubai Sky in three straight stakes races, has been entered to seek a breakthrough victory in the Palm Beach.

The 3-year-old son of Stroll was nosed out of a Pulpit Stakes victory by Chief Kitten while finishing a head in front of Night Prowler; he rallied late to finish third behind Night Prowler in the Dania Beach, 1 ½ lengths back; and he closed with a rush from far back to finish third in the Kitten’s Joy, less than a length behind victorious Dubai Sky.

“I think he needs to be closer early. He’s had too much to do in his last couple races,” said trainer Garry Simms’ son and assistant trainer, Zack. “He’s all heart. The horse has a lot of talent, and I think he’s going to continue to get better.”

Croninthebarbarian, who is slated to be ridden by Julien Leparoux for the first time, won the $200,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile on Oct. 5.

Gunpowder Farm’s Divisidero, a stunning debut winner at Gulfstream on Feb. 7 and RIP Current Stables’ Nutty Futty, a Grade 2 stakes-placed colt who finished third at Gulfstream Park West in his 2014 finale; have also been entered to contest the Palm Beach.

Decision Day, who finished far back in the Lambholm South Holy Bull (G2) over Gulfstream’s main track last time out, captured the $250,000 Coronation Futurity over Woodbine’s Polytrack surface in his 2-year-old finale. The Palm Beach will be his first time on turf. Bear’s Personality, a two-time winner on Woodbine’s Polytrack, is also set to make his turf debut Saturday after finishing up the track in his dirt debut in the Sam Davis at Tampa Bay Downs.

Call Me Crazy, Felifran, Eh Cumpari and High Noon Rider round out the field.

Source: Gulfstream Park