Steel Valley Sprint draws full field of 3-year-old sprinters

A full field of 12 3-year-old sprinters is entered in the 11th running of the $300,000 Steel Valley Sprint, the featured race on a stakes-filled card Monday at Mahoning Valley.

Cherie DeVaux sends out Retribution, who exits a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx. The son of Vekoma owns one of the top wins in the field with a score in the Chick Lang Stakes on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico. DeVaux expects a return to that form to make him competitive.

“Last time was a tough race against a tough field,” DeVaux said. “I thought he ran a good race. He’s a horse who puts in a good race, then will get a little green. He’s still figuring it out. But if he runs his good race, he should be right there.”

José Ortiz gets the mount from post 3.

Guns Loaded starts for Jose D’Angelo, who trained the recent Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner. The son of Gun Runner took the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park in January as an early Kentucky Derby prep. After two subpar efforts in stakes company, Guns Loaded received time off before returning at Churchill Downs this fall. In that comeback, he rallied from off the pace to win impressively.

“We’ve always known he was talented, a honest horse who ran good races everywhere,” D’Angelo said. “We gave him some time off, and he got sharp coming back. He ran a huge race at Churchill. That was the first time he came from off the pace. Before the time off, he seemed to like to lug in. But he ran straight. I loved the way he traveled. We gave him time to recover from that big race, and we’re looking forward to running him back.”

Dallas Stewart enters Tough Catch, who followed a similar path to Guns Loaded with early stakes success, time off and a Kentucky allowance comeback. Tough Catch won the Sugar Bowl Stakes at Fair Grounds. He returned in an allowance at Keeneland.

“He had little time off, came back at Keeneland and had a bit of a troubled trip,” Stewart said. “But he worked really good here on Saturday, and he’s a solid colt. We’re looking forward to getting him up there.”

Luis Saez, who rode Tough Catch in his past three starts, has the mount from post 9.

Dale Romans enters two runners, stakes winner Keep It Easy and Taylor’s Version. Keep It Easy won the Ed Brown Stakes at Churchill Downs last November and most recently finished second in the same allowance that Tough Catch exits. Taylor’s Version lacks a stakes win but enters off an allowance score at Churchill Downs. He figures to help set the pace.

Fausto Gutierrez saddles Rolando, the final stakes winner in the field. The son of Vekoma won the Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park and the Petramalo Mile at Colonial Downs. He exits a fourth-place finish in the Perryville Stakes (G3) at Keeneland. Tyler Gaffalione rides from post 5.

Anthony Farrior starts Faster Gator, who has chased stakes wins all year. He finished second in the Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct behind eventual Ohio Derby (G3) winner Mo Plex and third in the Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes at Charles Town. Faster Gator enters off a sharp local allowance win. Farrior sees his best ahead.

“This is probably the best he’s ever been,” Farrior said. “I like the six furlongs. I think that fits him a little better than the seven-eighths. That’s probably a little long for him. I think he’s got a big heart. He tries. I have a lot of confidence in him. I think they gotta come beat us.”

Jevian Toledo rides the son of Vekoma from post 12.

Guadalupe Preciado enters Fire Pit. The son of Cairo Prince has kept strong company, including a third-place finish in the Gallant Bob. 

“We think he will be OK,” Preciado said. “He looks like he’s matured a little bit and is coming around. He can sit just off the pace but he usually breaks sharp.”

Andy Hernandez rides from post 1.

Saffie Joseph Jr. saddles Souper Tuscan with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard. The Vino Rosso colt has won both dirt starts after four on synthetic.

“We bought into him thinking he could be a dirt horse,” Joseph said. “He trained okay on dirt, but it took him a little while to put it all together. When we switched him to dirt in the afternoon, he really woke up. He’s gotten a lot better.”

Hymn, El Muchacho Alegre and Dr. Alex Is In complete the field from the rail out.