Speechify, Singanothersong Among Mr. Prospector Nominees
Speechify and Singanothersong, winners of the past two editions of the $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3), are among 18 horses nominated for the 61st renewal of the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up to be run Dec. 19 at Gulfstream Park.
Team Valor International’s Speechify, trained by Ralph Nicks, defeated fellow nominee Risk Factor by 1 ¼ lengths last December in the Mr. Prospector, his first graded stakes victory. Eighth last year, Herman Van Den Broeck’s Singanothersong is winless in nine starts since capturing the 2013 Mr. Prospector for trainer Ron Pellegrini.
Owner-trainer David Jacobson is represented by five nominees including multiple graded stakes winner Salutos Amigos, Grade 1-placed Pablo Del Monte, Grade 3-placed Heaven’s Runway and Stallwalkin’ Dude, neck winner of the Claiming Crown Rapid Transit Dec. 5 at Gulfstream.
Also nominated are Grade 3 winner C. Zee and multiple stakes winner Grande Shores from the Gulfstream barn of trainer Stanley Gold; Grade 3 winner Grand Bili; 2015 Sunshine Millions Sprint champion Weekend Hideaway; and X Y Jet, who owns two straight victories and was second in the Jan. 24 Hutcheson (G3) at Gulfstream.
The $75,000 Tropical Park Derby for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on turf attracted 33 nominations, five from top turf trainer Chad Brown led by Grade 2 winner March, most recently second by a head in the Hollywood Derby (G1), a length in front of Grade 2-placed stablemate Fundamental. Brown also has Money Multiplier, second in a pair of Grade 3 turf stakes this summer, as well as stakes winner Tweet Summer.
Eh Cumpari and A Lot, who ran 1-2 in the Dania Beach (G3) March 7 at Gulfstream are also nominated, along with South Florida stakes winners Firespike, Rizwan and Watchyourownbobber. Multiple graded stakes-placed War Story, 16th in the Kentucky Derby, is expected to make his grass debut for trainer Peter Walder.
Eight of the 38 nominations in the $75,000 Tropical Park Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on turf are trained by Todd Pletcher, topped by Osaila, a Group 3 winner in England owned by Al Shaqab Racing, who won last year’s race with Sandiva, one of their five graded stakes triumphs at last winter’s Championship Meet. Multiple stakes-winning shippers Lady Fog Horn and Miss Wilby and Quiet Kitten, winner of the Claiming Crown Tiara Dec. 5, are also nominated.
Who’s Hot: Four-time defending Championship Meet-leading jockey Javier Castellano continued his hot start with a pair of winners, Tale Stone ($2.40) in the fourth race and Comet Sixty Two ($4.60) in the ninth, giving him eight through the first four days.
Rainbow 6 Carryover: $6,217.56
Super Hi-5 Carryover: $4,804.31
Source: Gulfstream Park