Mr. Jordan an intimidating presence

The average field size at the Gulfstream Park West meet through Sunday is 8.24 horses a race, which compares favorably to the 7.29 average at the recently completed meet at Belmont Park and the 7.94 at the Santa Anita meet that ended Sunday.

Expect more of the same on Sunshine Millions Preview Day this Saturday. With 133 horses nominated to the nine $75,000 stakes races for Florida-breds, there will be full fields in most of the races.

An exception will be the Millions Classic Preview, in which nine horses were nominated to the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up. The presence of Mr. Jordan could have something to do with the lack of interest.

Trained by Edward Plesa Jr., Mr. Jordan is perfect in four starts at Gulfstream Park West, and after winning the Classic Preview over Piloting by 3 3/4 lengths in 2016, he came back last year and was in a race by himself. With Edgard Zayas riding, he crossed the finish line 11 1/2 lengths in front of Richard the Great.

Plesa is expecting another strong performance from the classy 6-year-old gelding, who has compiled a 9-7-7 record from 33 starts for earnings of $780,835.

“He is at 110 percent and he does have an affinity for the track. I just wished there were more days at Calder,” said Plesa, referring to the former name of Gulfstream Park West.

Mr. Jordan has performed well on other tracks, winning races at Monmouth Park, Parx, and Gulfstream Park. His most important victory came in the Grade 3 Pegasus at Monmouth in 2014.

He becomes a horse of a different color at Gulfstream Park West, though.

“I have no explanation for it, but he does his best racing there,” Plesa said.

Being the only gray in the field he will be easy to spot, whether he is on the lead or stalking.

“He’s versatile,” Plesa said. “He can lay off the speed or go to the front.”

Either way, there isn’t much doubt he is the one to beat. Plus, he is being reunited with Paco Lopez, who was aboard for his win in the Pegasus at Monmouth. Lopez was the leading rider at the New Jersey track five times.

Monday morning the veteran rider had not come down from the clouds after winning the Breeders’ Cup sprint with Roy H on Saturday. It was the first Breeders’ Cup win for Lopez.

“We had a perfect trip,” Lopez said. “It was very exciting and I am so happy to win a Breeders’ Cup race. Hopefully there will be more to come.”

Lopez is looking forward to this Saturday. He has an excellent chance of winning the Millions Sprint Preview with Quijote and the Turf Preview with Galleon Mast.

“I like all of the horses I ride,” Lopez said. “It all depends on how they handle the track. Some like it and some don’t.”

Lopez doesn’t have that concern with Mr. Jordan.