Pletcher-trained Bronson seeks win in wide-open stakes

GulfstreamPark will host a special11-race holiday card Tuesday punctuated with a pair of mile-long turf races for 3-year-olds.

Ten horses will chase a $100,000 purse in the Not Surprising Stakes. The event appears wide open with early favoritism handed to Bronson at 2-1.

The Todd Pletchertrained colt has a pair of wins this year over the Gulfstream grass, both coming at 1 1⁄ miles. On May 6, 16 Bronson captured the English Channel by1 ½-lengths at Gulfstream for his first stakes win. However, the son of Medaglia d’Oro has failed to hit the board in his three attempts in graded stakes company, most recently with a sixth-place finish in the Penn Mile Stakes at Penn National on June 3. Tyler Gaffalione gets the call.

Basha slots in at 4-1 in his first start on grass. Trained by Gilberto Zerpa, Basha was last seen finishing sixth in the Tampa Bay Derby. Edgard Zayas, who rode three winners on Saturday’s Summit of Speed card, will be in the irons.

Coleman Rocky, at 5-1, will seek his first win at his home track of Gulfstream. Thecolt broke hismaidenat Aqueduct last November. He had his best finish since that win in his last start, coming in second in a 7 ½-furlong turf allowance race at Gulfstream on May 28.

Bronson’s stablemate, Squadron, is looking for his first stakes victory. Off the strength of his most recent effort, a fourth-place finish in the English Channel, he slots in at 6-1.

The companion race for fillies, the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes, drew a field of seven. Pletcher, who left a string of 50 horses at Palm Beach Downs this spring, has another pair to watch inAdorable Miss and FlyingHarmony.

The early favorite at 7-5, Adorable Miss is 2-for-2 lifetime over the Gulfstream grass. In her lone start away from Hallandale Beach, she finished third in the Penn Oaks at Penn National on June 3. Gaffalione will ride.

Flying Harmony is also lightly raced, having made just two career starts. She broke her maiden in her last outing June11, winning a 7 ½-furlong turf maiden by two lengths at Gulfstream. She begins the day at 4-1.

Bitacora (3-1) has just three wins, all at Gulfstream, withtwoontheturf. In her last outing, onJune17, she finished a half-length back in the Ginger Punch.

First post for the holiday racing docket is 1:15 p.m. Special events throughout the day include a fan grab giveaway, a kid’s zone with face painting and balloon artists, and live music after the final race.

A fireworks display beginning at 9:30 p.m. will cap the festivities.