Little Baltar is well spotted

MIAMI – Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has maintained a high win percentage throughout the 2017 racing season, in part by picking out spots such as Saturday’s first-level optional-claiming feature at Gulfstream Park West for Little Baltar, who’ll be among the favorites in a race scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Little Baltar has won five races, more than any other member of the field, but is eligible for the race because he’ll compete under a $25,0000 claiming tag. That’s the price Joseph and his partners took Little Baltar for out of a win at Gulfstream Park on June 24. Little Baltar has started just once since, finishing far back after breaking slowly and trailing throughout in the The Vid overnight handicap 10 weeks later. He returns from a 2 1/2-month layoff on Saturday.

“He broke bad and ran bad when we ran him back, then came down with a virus after the race, so we gave him a little time and he’s doing well now,” said Joseph. “He’s back in for what we claimed him for, and that’s about his class, it’s where he belongs. I expect him to run well, although anytime a horse comes off a race like that last one you’re never totally confident until they show they’re back.”

Joseph owns a 21 percent success rate in 2017 and was 6 for 19 through Wednesday during the Gulfstream Park West session.

“We had a good first half of the year,” said Joseph, who has nearly two dozen horses under his care. “It got a little slow this summer, we went through a bit of a slump, but things have picked back up again so far at this meet. Hopefully things will continue well throughout the remainder of the year and we can pick up a few new owners as we go along, because that’s really the key to being successful in this business, having good owners.”

Little Baltar will face a field that includes a pair each from the potent barns of trainers Todd Pletcher and Mark Casse.

Pletcher sends out Slaimy, who has been idle since winning his maiden at Gulfstream on June 17, and Robusto, a 13-length maiden winner over a sloppy track two starts back. Casse counters with the promising Dance Strike, who was second, beaten a neck by Bird Humor, under similar conditions here on Oct. 11, and Devise, who finished seventh in that same race, his local bow.

The remainder of the field for turf comprises What Power, Coleman Rocky, Major Key, Archvillain, and Little No Way. Prince Tito has been entered for the main track only, and would prove the major beneficiary if the race comes off the turf.