Sharp rivals meet for first time

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Where’s Joey and Absolute Grit have each won their last three starts, while Reserve-notattained had a three-race winning streak of his own snapped when upset as the odds-on favorite in his most recent start.

On Friday, the three will cross paths for the first time when facing off under first-level allowance and optional-claiming conditions for a $51,000 purse as the highlight of a ninerace program at Gulfstream Park. The card also includes a similarly conditioned allowance dash for 3-year-old fillies on turf.

Where’s Joey has proven a popular item at the claim box while successfully moving up the class ladder this season, capturing his never-won-two and -three lifetime conditions under a $12,500 price tag during the Championship meet before stepping up against tougher optional-claiming and starter-allowance company to continue his winning ways April 14. Where’s Joey was claimed out of his last by trainer Gilberto Zerpa, the third time in the last four starts the 4-year-old son of Tapizar has changed hands via a claim.

Absolute Grit is undefeated in three starts in 2022, winning a pair of $25,000 starter-allowance sprints during the Championship meet before slipping in against statebred allowance company to prove a popular winner going six furlongs April 3. Like Where’s Joey, Absolute Grit does his best when positioned on or near the early pace.

Reservenotattained, yet another with a good turn of early foot, won three straight races under $12,500 claiming tags by a combined 16 1/4 lengths between Dec. 22 and Feb. 2, withstanding early pace pressure on each occasion before drawing away to win in comfortable fashion. He never got his head in front and could not continue his win streak when upset by Henry’s World as a prohibitive 2-5 favorite in his most recent outing March 16, chasing the winner from gate to wire before falling 1 1/2 lengths short.

If there is another upset in the making Friday, the most likely candidates would appear to be Meetmeinkingston, returning to the main track off a couple of third-place finishes under similar conditions over the Tapeta track, or Onur, a stakes winner last summer in his native Argentina who should benefit from his U.S. debut, a fourth-place finish on the turf here three weeks earlier.

◗ R Girls Werth It, Poiema, and Saturday Nite Girl may prove best of the six fillies set to go five furlongs on the grass in the co-featured seventh race.

R Girls Werth It and Poiema are coming off third-place efforts against similar opposition and enter the co-feature sporting the top Beyer Speed Figures in the lineup. Saturday Nite Girl began her career and won her maiden locally here last summer before heading off to California during the fall. She will be reunited with trainer Tom Proctor for her 3-year-old debut and has been well prepared for the outing, sporting a series of six works over the past five weeks, including a bullet on the dirt and several very fast drills over the turf course at the Palm Meadows training center.