Trouble Kid Tries to Get Back on Winning Track in Rail Splitter
{{monthName}} {{day}}, {{year}} {{hour12}}:{{minuteTwoDigit}}{{dayPeriod}}
Trouble Kid and City of Weston, whose Grade 3 victories each came in the Gallant Bob Stakes two years apart, are among the field of 10 entered for the $60,000 Rail Splitter Monday at Gulfstream Park.
The 6 ½-furlong Rail Splitter for horses 4 and up that have started for a claiming price of $35,000 or less is one of 12 starter stakes worth a total of $680,000 in purses that comprise a special Presidents Day holiday program. First race post time is 12:35 p.m.
Trained by Ramon Preciado for Barbara Hopkins, Trouble Kid enters the Rail Splitter off a pair of narrow defeats at Gulfstream. The 4-year-old Harlan’s Holiday gelding was caught late in the Claiming Crown Rapid Transit Dec. 5, losing by a neck, and a six-furlong optional claiming allowance Jan. 27, falling short by a head.
Trouble Kid reeled off four consecutive wins last summer including the Gallant Bob and Valley Forge Stakes, and was disqualified from first to second in the De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park prior to the Claiming Crown.
Florida-bred City of Weston’s multiple stakes wins include the 2013 Gallant Bob as well as the seven-furlong Blue Heron Stakes last April at Gulfstream. The 6-year-old son of Holy Bull, trained by Peter Walder for Loooch Racing Stables, has gone winless in six starts since and most recently was third by a length in a third-level allowance Jan. 22.
Dreaming of Neno, who beat City of Weston in the Gulfstream allowance; Claiming Crown Canterbury winner Successful Native and runner-up Delta Bluesman; Early Entry, Mitos Y Leyendas, Point Made, Stormy Rocit and Wicked Rascal are also entered.
Manchurian High, back-to-back winner of the Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream, will face stakes winners Golden Rifle, Key to Power and Yankee Dealer in the $60,000 Old Man Eloquent for 4-year-olds and up that have started for $35,000 or less going 1 1/16 miles on the grass.
Owned and trained by Lilli Kurtinecz, 8-year-old Manchurian High is three-for-eight lifetime at Gulfstream Park and two-for-three at the distance over the course, both wins coming in the Sunshine Millions, most recently on Jan. 16. He also closed to be fourth, beaten 1 ¼ lengths, in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1) last winter.
Golden Rifle captured the Eight Miles East Stakes Aug. 8 at Gulfstream, also at 1 1/16 miles, but has not raced since stumbling out of the gate of his last start Dec. 18, losing jockey Tyler Gaffalione. Key to Power won a pair of stakes 21 days apart last fall in the Midwest as well as the Claiming Crown Emerald Dec. 5 and last out was sixth by 2 ½ lengths in the Fort Lauderdale (G2) Jan. 9.
Sixth in the Emerald, Walder-trained Yankee Dealer made a late bid but finished off the board in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance Jan. 16 at Gulfstream in his 7-year-old debut. Last year, he won both the Black Tie Affair at Arlington Park and Cicero Handicap at Hawthorne.
Adios Nardo, Best Bard, Dannhauser, Flashy Chelsey, Little Baltar, Riviere Du Loup, Scrumpdilicious and With Exultation complete the field.
Sr. Quisqueyano, upset winner of the 2015 Sunshine Millions Classic; 2014 Claiming Crown Jewel winner Catholic Cowboy; and English Channel Stakes winner Rizwan highlight a field of seven in the $60,000 Old Hickory at 1 1/16 miles for 4-year-olds and up that have started for $35,000 or less.
An overflow field of 16 was entered in the $60,000 Mrs. Presidentress for 3-year-old fillies going 7 ½ furlongs on turf which have started for a tag of $35,000 or less. Among the horses are Born to Be Winner, third by a length in the Sweetest Chant (G3) Jan. 30; Crystal’s Cantana, going for her third straight victory; and last-out winners Cali Cat, Golden Delicious, Raisedtobeawarrior, Ramblin N Gamblin, Temple Fur, Tizjet and Twocatsintheyard.
Scheduled to be run on the turf are the $60,000 Mary Todd at 1 1/16 miles, $60,000 Sage of Monticello at 7 ½ furlongs and $50,000 Little Magician at one mile. The remaining main track events are the $60,000 Queen Mother, $60,000 American Fabius, $50,000 Trust Buster and $50,000 Lady Bird, all at seven furlongs, and the $50,000 Rough and Ready at 1 1/16 miles.
Source: Gulfstream Park
Read More
In the 10 days since the Breeders’ Cup Classic, word has filtered out about which runners will return...
If Whit Beckman was disappointed with Regaled 's third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, you wouldn't know...
Touchuponastar earned a 138 Horse Racing Nation speed figure for his 10-length win in Saturday's Delta Mile at...
Even though the 6-year-old gelding Concrete Glory has competed in graded stakes and most recently won a top-level...
Ozara breezed four furlongs in 51.4 at Belmont Park on Tuesday. It was the 22nd fastest of 25...