Galleon Mast tough on favorite course

A competitive field will meet in the $50,000 The Vid Handicap at Gulfstream Park on Monday. The 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up has seven horses entered for turf and one – Chepstow – for the main track only.

Post time for the first of 12 races on the Labor Day card is 12:45 p.m. Eastern.

Galleon Mast, trained by David Fawkes, likely will be favored. The 4-year-old Florida-bred hasn’t finished off the board in 10 starts over the Gulfstream turf course, and in his last start, he won over My Point Exactly in the $75,000 Eight Miles East Stakes on Aug. 6.

With leading Tyler Gaffalione aboard, he saved ground early in the one-mile race restricted to Florida-breds, moved off the rail to engage the leaders while

going wide around the stretch turn, and hooked up with My Point Exactly in midstretch, winning by a head.

Galleon Mast does his best running late, and with plenty of potential speed in The Vid, he should get the right kind of trip after breaking from post 5 with Gaffalione riding.

Speed will be provided by Diamond Bachelor and possibly Keepthedreamalive. Keepthedreamalive has won from a stalking position though, and if Edgard Zayas can get the lightly raced 4-year-old to settle early, he could be very dangerous late. Trained by Joseph Orseno, Keepthedreamalive set the pace under Zayas in the Eight Miles East before settling for third.

KEY CONTENDERS

Galleon Mast, by Mizzen Mast Last 3 Beyers: 89-90-87

◗ He is as honest as they come, particularly over this course, and if several go early, he should feast on what figures to be a fast and contested pace.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over the past two years, Gaffalione has won with 29 percent of his mounts for Fawkes.

Keepthedreamalive, by Leroidesanimaux Last 3 Beyers: 85-80-91

◗ In his three victories, he sat just off the pace, and he earned a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure when he came from a stalking position to dead heat for first in a first-level allowance race at Belmont Park last year.

◗ He was coming off a layoff in the Eight Miles East, so he may just have been too eager. With a race under his belt, he could be more settled.

Diamond Bachelor, by War Front Last 3 Beyers: 87-82-87

◗ Diamond Bachelor isn’t the most consistent horse around, but he can be a tough customer when he is on top of his game, like he was when he won The Vid last year.

◗ Trained by Patrick Biancone, the 6-year-old multiple stakes winner with $366,535 in earnings opened up a 12-length lead at the six-furlong call before fading to finish fifth going a 1 1/8 miles in the $50,000 Mecke Handicap on July 9.

◗ Diamond Bachelor is capable of firing fresh, and if Darryll Holland, who will be riding him for the first time, can get him to relax early, he should be in the mix late.