Gray’s Fable back in cozy spot

The Gulfstream Park winter meet reaches the halfway point this weekend, and trainer Brian Lynch can only hope the second half goes as well as the first.

Lynch has a record of 6-4-4 from 22 starters at the meet, a solid 6 for 18 on the turf. On Friday, the 34th day of the 71-day season, Lynch brings the 8-year-old Gray’s Fable back to the races in a one-mile, multi-conditioned turf allowance. Gray’s Fable, making his first start in 125 days, fits the condition snugly as his win in the Evan Williams Turf Mile at Ellis Park came Aug. 7, three days before one of the eligibility conditions for this race.

Gray’s Fable won the Grade 3 Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream in 2021 when trained by Roger Attfield. That race also was at a mile.

Gray’s Fable, last seen finishing 10th in the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland, shows only four workouts, all over the Palm Meadows turf course, leading to his return.

“I’d like to have a bit more work in him than we have, but it’s an ideal race for him – a mile off the layoff,” Lynch said. “He probably doesn’t take as much training as I would normally put into a horse coming off this long a layoff, but he puts a lot into his daily gallops.”

In his last three starts, including the Evan Williams at Ellis Park last August. Gray’s Fable has come from well off the pace. He was squeezed at the break in the Mint Million at Kentucky Downs and overmatched in the Coolmore Turf Mile.

With the rail draw Friday, Lynch is hoping jockey Joel Rosario can get Gray’s Fable out of the gate and attain a forward position.

“He’s a fidgety old horse. You don’t want to mess with him too much,” Lynch said. “If he breaks on top and he’s fresh and he wants to be up close, that’s what you got to do.”

First Empire, parked in post 10 in this 11-horse field, and Call Me Harry, starting from post 6, look to be the other speed types in the field.

Sky’s Not Falling had a tworace win streak snapped when fourth in a similar spot as this on Jan. 13. He was caught wide behind a slow pace, advanced to be head-and-head for the lead in the stretch, but couldn’t keep on, getting beat 1 1/4 lengths by English Bee. In his race prior to that, also an allowance at Gulfstream, Sky’s Not Falling pulled off a 48-1 surprise, benefiting from a hot early pace, according to trainer Mike Trombetta.

Trainer Carlos David, who, like Lynch, has enjoyed a strong first half of the meet (7 for 26), sends out Hot Blooded, who finished second in the Sunshine Millions Turf here Jan. 21.

Creed, trained by Shug McGaughey, looks to take the next step after winning a second-level turf allowance here by 2 1/2 lengths on Dec. 30. He gets a rider change from Pablo Morales to Luis Saez.

◗ Earlier on the card, in race 3, Expressman tries to make amends for two defeats at odds-on in a first-level allowance going 1 1/8 miles. Trainer Todd Pletcher adds blinkers to the 4-year-old colt’s equipment in what will be his first start around two turns.