Gulfstream turf gets makeover

MIAMI – After being used heavily for the past 10 months with as many as five or six races carded daily on the grass, the Gulfstream Park turf course is undergoing extensive renovations that began immediately after the spring-summer session ended last Sunday.

Large sections of the course have already been ripped out, with the much-needed project scheduled to be completed by the time the 2018-19 championship meet opens Dec. 1.

“Despite taking a pretty good pounding and being used so frequently this past season, we felt the turf course held up really well, all things considered,” Gulfstream Park general manager Bill Badgett said. “We are currently in the process of tearing out and redoing the outside 96 feet, with the work to be completely done and the course ready for business when we reopen for the championship meet.”

Having the turf course in pristine condition will be of even greater importance this winter with the addition of the Grade 1, $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on the schedule, with expectations of attracting many of the world’s best grass horses to Gulfstream Park for the inaugural running on Jan. 26.

Harryhee to show the way

When Brett McLellan reached in to claim Harryhee for $6,250 in February 2017, he did so with pretty much his entire bankroll at the time. Now, McLellan has three horses in his barn, all courtesy of the money Harryhee has earned over the past 20 months, a total that might increase substantially after Sunday’s $48,000 main event at Gulfstream Park West.

Harryhee figures to stand some catching and likely will be favored in a field of seven set to go six furlongs under high-level optional-claiming conditions in race 4. The speedster is coming off a couple of second-place efforts, including a near miss in the Trinniberg Stakes four weeks ago when run down in the final yards by 3-5 Cautious Giant. The performance pushed Harryhee’s earnings past the $100,000 mark from 10 starts in 2018.

“It’s always nice to win, and it’s disappointing when you get caught at the end. But when he runs hard like that and gets beat, while it might be a little frustrating, I’m still always proud of him because I know it’s not for lack of trying,” McLellan said. “He’s responsible for me having my own string now. I do all the work myself, and everything I have right now, the horses, the equipment in the barn, everything, it’s all because of him.”

Harryhee will have to fend off a solid group of rivals Sunday, including Take Your Place, Red Crescent, Storming My Way, and Quijote.

Take Your Place has won two straight but has been idle since rallying to win under similar conditions in an off-the-turf five-furlong dash July 28 at Gulfstream.

Red Crescent also exits a victory, against lesser at seven furlongs four weeks ago, while Storming My Way returns from a six-month freshening and has a win and two seconds from three starts at Gulfstream Park West.

Quijote finished third, nearly two lengths behind Harryhee, in the Trinniberg and also is fond of the local strip, having won the Sunshine Millions Sprint Preview here last fall.