GULFSTREAM WEST

Bird Humor may have slight edge

MIAMI – The best will be first on Wednesday’s eightrace program at Gulfstream Park West, where the feature race will be run as the opener on the card. The $43,000 optional-claiming event scheduled for one mile on the turf drew an evenly matched field of seven, plus one main track only entrant.

Bird Humor may go postward the slight favorite despite having his three-race win streak snapped last out when second behind Metaphorically under similar conditions across town at Gulfstream Park. Bird Humor has maintained his good form for trainer Reid Nagle since March, having won four of his eight starts and finishing off the board only once during that span.

Nagle said he’s learned a few things from Bird Humor since he acquired him through the claim box in January 2016.

“He was a bit choppy moving up front when I took him, so I gave him time off figuring that would straighten him out,” said Nagle, who did not run Bird Humor back for nine months after claiming him. “Well, he came back moving well, but wasn’t running real well. But the more I trained him, the choppier he started to get up front again. And the better he got.

“That’s just him. He loves to race even if he’s not the smoothest mover. So now I just let him do his thing, and he’s gotten pretty good at it. I tried to change what was working when I claimed him and ultimately learned that you can’t treat all of them alike.”

Bird Humor will try the Gulfstream Park West turf course for the first time on Wednesday, although the shift in venue should not bother the gelded son of Distorted Humor, who has won races at Gulfstream Park, Tampa Bay Downs, and Laurel this season.

“I think the Gulfstream West course is more challenging for bigger and longerstriding horses, so he should be fine over there because, like I said, he doesn’t have a very long stride,” said Nagle.

Bird Humor will have to be on top of his game if he’s to get back to his winning ways, with a case to be made for just about any of his six rivals.

Devise comes off a careerbest effort when finishing second, beaten a neck, by the recently stakes-placed Love Conquers under the same conditions at Gulfstream on Aug. 5. Devise finished a head better than My Cowboy for second that day, and My Cowboy is the likely pacesetter and one to catch in Wednesday’s main event. Like Bird Humor, My Cowboy is a five-time winner.

Devise is one of two horses trainer Mark Casse entered in the race along with Dance Strike, an extremely well-bred son of Tapit. Dance Strike ran to his backing when rallying to a 1 1/4-length debut victory on Aug. 20, albeit against a much softer group than he’ll encounter stepping into allowance company for the first time on Wednesday.

Trainer Todd Pletcher sends out Son of a Saint, who finished off the board this summer at Saratoga in his only previous turf start. Silver Beach and Zitman complete the lineup.