Beyers show turf sprint to be wide-open affair

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Beyer Speed Figure aficionados will have their work cut out trying to figure out the winner of Wednesday’s $86,000 allowance feature at Gulfstream Park. The wideopen five-furlong turf dash for fillies and mares serves as the penultimate leg of the Rainbow 6 sequence, which offers a $550,000 guaranteed jackpot.

Of the 11 horses entered in the main event, 10 have last-out Beyers ranging from 72 to 79. The top number belongs to La Chica Lateral, who has never run on the grass and has not started since winning a statebred allowance dash on dirt by 6 3/4 lengths nearly 17 months ago.

The next two last-out Beyer leaders in the race are Sammy’s Town and Designed by Kitten, both of whom posted a 78, although those numbers were earned on the Tapeta. Sammy’s Town registering a career-best Beyer for her second-place finish earlier this month. Designed by Kitten continued to prove a bit of a hanging sort when she finished third as the 7-5 favorite on Jan. 14.

Legitimate cases can also be made for Miss Domina and Miss Sakamoto, both of whom registered 75 Beyer Figures in their 2022 finales. Miss Domina has been idle since capturing a $50,000 starter allowance dash over the Saratoga turf strip on Aug. 4. Miss Sakamoto finished a game third following an extended pace duel over the Tapeta course on Nov. 22.

With plenty of pace signed on in the headliner, late runners Cardio Princess and Firenspice also demand respect from posts 10 and 11. Cardio Princess will make her first start since finishing second, beaten a head, in a six-furlong allowance on the turf at Woodbine on July 16. Firenspice rallied to be fourth despite a somewhat eventful trip when trying grass for the first time here last month.

Join the Dots also figures to be coming on strong at the end. She is coming off a solid effort, rallying from near the rear of the field to be second as the 3-1 favorite against entry-level allowance types sprinting over Laurel’s turf on Nov. 20.

Bennett looks for another upset

Trainer Gerald Bennett proved to be a giant killer last Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs when he slew the reigning juvenile filly champion and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Wonder Wheel with his 38-1 Dreaming of Snow. This Saturday, he’ll try to play a similar role when he sends out Tap Dance Fever against multiple Grade 2 winner Kathleen O. and five other older fillies and mares here in the Grade 3 Royal Delta Stakes.

Tap Dance Fever has blossomed since returning to Tampa for the winter and enters the 1 1/16-mile Royal Delta on a two-race winning streak that includes a game decision over the Grade 1-placed Pass the Champagne in the Wayward Lass Stakes on Jan. 14. She earned her a career best 89 Beyer Figure.

“She’d been shutting her air down and giving no indication before we finally realized what was happening and did something about it before her last two starts,” Bennett said on Monday. “She really took advantage of the track condition in her last race. The track was extremely deep down on the inside and anybody who raced there was in the heavier going. I told my rider to stay out wide even if he has to lose ground and that if we lost, it would be my fault. Fortunately it worked out. She’s definitely going the right way now. She worked real good up here yesterday, my rider said he thought even stronger than before the last race.”

Kathleen O. is likely to share favoritism in the Royal Delta with trainer the Todd Pletcher-trained Classy Edition. Don’t Get Khozy, the Tampa Baybased Midnight Stroll, Jungle Juice, and Soul of an Angel complete the lineup.

Kingscote goes out a winner

Jockey Richard Kingscote’s four-week visit to Gulfstream Park ended on a high note after the Great Britain-based jockey guided the promising 3-yearold Arthur’s Ride to an impressive victory over a strong field of maiden rivals here Saturday. The mount was the 18th and last locally for Kingscote, who returns home at the end of the week after spending his last few days in South Florida vacationing with his family.

Kingscote, who rode Desert Crown to victory in the 2022 Epsom Derby, said he was pleased the way things went in his relatively brief stay at Gulfstream Park.

“Things are very different out here, but I’ve enjoyed it,” he said. “The lifestyle is great. I didn’t expect to be getting a winner, so I’m pleased we got one.”

Kingscote rated the Bill Motttrained Arthur’s Ride on the lead. They shook off an early challenge from the favored Case and held off well-backed first-time starter Dreamlike. Kingscote picked up the mount the morning of the race after his original rider, Edgar Prado, was not available.

“It’s nice to get a winner before heading home,” Kingscote said. “Mr. Mott is a great trainer, knows what he’s doing, and fair play to him for putting me on a live chance.”