Canadian trainers hope to earn shipping cash

Before the Canadian-based horsemen Michael De Paulo and Nicholas Gonzalez return to Woodbine for the spring, they both have some unfinished business at Gulfstream Park. De Paulo and Gonzalez each have a major contender in one of the two allowance co-features Thursday.

In the eighth race on the 10-race card, a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds scheduled for five furlongs on turf, De Paulo brings First Goal back from a 138-day layoff. At 2, First Goal went 2 for 5, with both wins sprinting over Woodbine’s synthetic surface. He last started in the Clarendon Stakes at Woodbine, finishing third behind a pair of Mark Cassetrained runners in Vanish and Katalox.

De Paulo is adding blinkers to First Goal, equipment the colt wore in a half-mile workout timed in a bullet 46.80 seconds last Thursday.

“The last time he worked with blinkers, he worked really well,” De Paulo said. “I’m concerned if he’s super tight, but we’ll get him started and go from there.”

The nine-horse field does have plenty of speed, which could make Santini dangerous for trainer Patrick Biancone. Santini won his debut at odds of 9-1 in a five-furlong turf sprint at Gulfstream on Jan. 15, taking advantage of a hot early pace to defeat nine rivals.

Race 9 is a second-level allowance for fillies and mares going a mile that drew just five runners. The Gonzalez-trained Meadow Rose is posted nicely on the outside. Two starts back, she was beaten a neck by Mo’ Green. Last out, she finished fourth behind the stakes winner Tale for Ruby. Those were her first two starts on dirt after racing on synthetic and turf at Woodbine last year.

KEY CONTENDERS RACE 8

First Goal, by First Defence Last 3 Beyers: 78-77-57

◗ He was beaten a neck in his debut last summer, then won going five furlongs, with both races over a synthetic surface.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over the last three years, De Paulo is 13 for 58 with a $2.91 ROI when bringing horses back off a layoff of 60 to 180 days. However, he is just 1 for 11 with such horses on turf in that span.

◗ Gets a rider switch from Gary Boulanger to Jose Lezcano.

Santini, by Maclean’s Music Beyer: 80

◗ Runners coming out of his maiden win are 0 for 15 since.

Apache Brave, by Kantharos Last 3 Beyers: 72-70-61

◗ Finished third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths by Derek’s Smile, in the Texas Glitter Stakes here on Feb. 25.