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HALLANDALE, BEACH. Fla. – The last time Ring Weekend was seen, he was finishing third in the Grade 2 Baltimore/ Washington International Turf Cup last fall at Laurel. The last time Fayeq was seen, he was finishing 12th last summer in the Grade 1 Travers. The last time Hedge Fund was seen, he was finishing fourth nine months ago in the Sir Barton at Pimlico. Barring any late scratches, all three will be seen in allowance races of various conditions and distances on Sunday’s excellent 12-race program at Gulfstream Park.
Ring Weekend returns to Gulfstream for the first time since winning his maiden over the main track here three years earlier for trainer Graham Motion. Winner of the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and the fifthplace finisher in the Preakness later that spring, Ring Weekend has since become a turf specialist and a Grade 1 winner, having captured the Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita in March of 2015. However, he is winless in eight starts since taking the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap over the Del Mar turf course in November 2016.
“It might be a little quick to be running him,” said Motion. “I’d probably rather give him another work or two, but I don’t see an ideal spot any time in the next three weeks and I’d rather run in an allowance race than throw him into the deep end right off the bat. I’m not sure if he’s a Grade 1-type horse now that he’s 7, but I certainly feel the way he’s training he should be very competitive if we place him carefully this year.”
Ring Weekend will face nine rivals in his return, a one-mile event on turf carded as race 11 (5:08 p.m. Eastern post), including the multiple stakes-placed Profiteer, who’ll put blinkers on for his 4-year-old debut; Saham, who seeks his first win since capturing the Grade 3 Jefferson Cup at Churchill Downs during the fall of 2015; restricted stakes winner Hieroglyphics; and recent allowance winner Siem Riep.
Fayeq began his career locally last winter, but did not really begin to flourish until stretching out around two turns and getting to New York later in his 3-year-old season. He posted back-to-back impressive victories that earned him a spot in the Travers. Unfortunately, Fayeq never had a chance to run his race after getting bounced around badly under Luis Saez after the break.
“Just throw a line through his race in the Travers,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “He got knocked around pretty good early and Luis wrapped up on him late. We went over him with a fine-tooth comb after the race and didn’t find much wrong, but made the decision in house to back off on him for a while and he’s come back very well. He’s training very nicely and should run well Sunday.
“I’m hoping his class will carry him, but we don’t have to win to be happy. We’re just glad to get him back and going again to kick off what will hopefully be a big year.”
You’re to Blame, trained by Todd Pletcher, was beaten a head when finishing third under similar optional-claiming conditions here early in the meet. He will likely be favored in a field that also includes recent allowance winners Carlino and Aurora Way. The 1 1/16-mile race was carded as the fifth on the program (2:05 p.m. post).
Hedge Fund ran well in a pair of Kentucky Derby preps last fall for Pletcher, finishing third in the Grade 3 Sunland Derby and second in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby, but was a little too far behind schedule to continue on the Triple Crown trail. Instead he went to Laurel, where he finished fourth – but was disqualified and placed sixth for interference in upper stretch – in the Sir Barton on the Preakness undercard before being stopped on for the remainder of the year.
Hedge Fund will face allowance company for the first time in Sunday’s eighth race (3:35 p.m. post), at 1 1/16 miles, and should be favored over seven rivals, with Iconic and Big Dollar Bill topping the competition.
Sunday’s card will also feature a second-level optional claimer at 1 1/8 miles on the turf (race 10, 4:37 p.m.), with the McLaughlin-trained Lucullan the one to beat. Lucullan has not started since finishing second, beaten a neck by Yoshida, in the Grade 3 Hill Prince at Belmont Park four months ago.
“He ran such a big sheet number in his last start we decided to give him some time, freshen him up, and he’s come back very well,” said McLaughlin. “He’s very similar to Fayeq other than he’s a turf horse and the other runs on dirt, and I truly believe he can be one of our really big horses this year.”