Familiar faces on preview card

MIAMI – Three defending champions and a multiple Grade 2 winner are among the bevy of talented Florida-breds who’ll contest Saturday’s annual Sunshine Millions Preview program at Gulfstream Park West. The 11-race card, which kicks off at a special post time of 12 p.m., includes nine stakes for Florida-breds of all age groups on turf and dirt, with each race carrying a purse of $75,000.

The Sunshine Millions Preview card serves as a prep for Sunshine Million Day at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 18.

Back to defend titles are Mr. Jordan, winner of the previous three renewals of the Sunshine Millions Classic Preview; Galleon Mast, who captured the 2018 Sunshine Millions Turf Preview; and Picara, wireto-wire winner of last year’s Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Preview. Stormy Embrace, who bypassed the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint despite the fact she had earned a berth by virtue of her victory in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney earlier this season, makes her first Preview Day appearance in the sevenfurlong Distaff.

Mr. Jordan has become a staple on Sunshine Preview day going all the way back to 2014, when he won the Juvenile Sprint. His amazing run in the Classic began in 2016 with a 3 3/4-length triumph over Piloting and continued with a threelength decision over Richard the Great in 2017 and a hardfought nose verdict over Deland here last fall to make him 5 for 5 at Gulfstream Park West.

Mr. Jordan is winless in seven starts this season and is coming off two subpar outings at Gulfstream Park.

“He’s 7 going on 8 and not the same horse he once was, but he’s training well, doing well, and I expect him to run well on Saturday,” said trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. “He’s a difficult horse to ride. Paco [Lopez] gets along with him best and Edgar [Prado] has also gotten along with him well, but neither were in town for his last two races, so having Paco back on him gives us a lot of confidence. I can tell you by the time he gets to the backstretch whether he’s going to run well. That’s how black and white it is with him.”

Richard the Great is one of only four rivals Mr. Jordan will face in the Classic, along with Hy Riverside, Art G Is Back, and Red Crescent.

Richard the Great won for the first time in more than two years, asserting his class to defeat $35,000 claiming rivals by 8 3/4 lengths over a wet track on Sept. 12 at Gulfstream. It was his first start off a 13-month layoff.

Hy Riverside and Art G Is Back both won open stakes races at Gulfstream earlier in the year, while Red Crescent is coming off a career-best performance from a Beyer Speed

Figure standpoint here earlier in the meet.

Stormy Embrace looks to get back on the winning track in the Distaff Preview after a fourth-place finish as the 2-5 favorite in the Sheer Drama Stakes on Sept. 7. Stormy Embrace had her chances compromised by a slow start and eventful trip. That was her lone outing since she successfully defended her title in the Princess Rooney on June 29 at Gulfstream Park.

“I’m happy to have her running this weekend. It’s going to be a lot less hassle,” trainer Kathy O’Connell said. “The Breeders’ Cup, it was just getting too hard to get out there and too many other factors, so we decided to stay put. She’s sharp and she’s feeling good. She works well over the track and she can walk out of her stall. I think that’s good for any horses under that scenario.”

Wildwood’s Beauty and Heiresall, who finished one-two in the Sheer Drama, and Liza Star, a former $6,250 claimer riding a five-race win streak, are among the five others slated to contest the Distaff Preview.

Galleon Mast registered a well-deserved nose decision following a stirring stretch duel to capture the 2018 Turf Preview after having lost the race by a similar margin to Swagger Jagger a year earlier. Swagger Jagger is also back in the Turf Preview. He has gone winless in 13 starts since capturing the 2018 Turf Classic at Tampa Bay Downs, also by a nose, 21 months ago.

Former claimer Driven by Thunder is among the other key contenders in the 1 1/16-mile Turf Preview, which goes as the opening race of the day.

Picara seeks her first visit to the winner’s circle since leading throughout to register a 1 3/4-length decision in the 2018 Filly and Mare Turf Preview. She figures to get all she can handle from a trio of Northern invaders – the multiple stakes winner Souper Escape, speedy Grade 3-placed Daddy’s Boo, and Miss Deplorable.

He Hate Me, third in the Grade 3 De Francis Dash in his last start, takes on Floridabreds for the first time and may prove the one to beat in the sixfurlong Sprint Preview. The race lured a field of seven that includes the much-improved former claimer Royal Squeeze and multiple statebred stakes winner Jackson.

The lightly raced but speedy As Seen On Tv will likely be favored to win the 6 1/2-furlong Juvenile Sprint Preview, while trainer Todd Pletcher sends out Mochaccino as one of the key contenders in its sister race for juvenile fillies. Susan’s Girl winner Ceci Valentina, Big Affair, and Let’s Be Honest are other notable names in the Juvenile Fillies Sprint Preview.

The one-mile Juvenile Turf and Juvenile Fillies Turf round out the stakes action on the card.