By HorseracingFLA Staff
Saturday June 6 — Gulfstream Park will have three 60,000 stakes races today as part of a ten-race card with an early first post time of 12:30 p.m.
Scheduled post time for the tenth race is 6:05 p.m. That should leave plenty of time for fans to do final handicapping and make bests on the Belmont Stakes with post time of 6:50 p.m.
The Gulfstream Stakes
* Parrot Key — 4th race, 6 ½ furlongs, dirt, 3-YOs and up.
After upsetting the heavily favored Grande Shores in the Blue Heron Handicap on April 23, Loooch Racing Stables’ City of Weston (pictured above) will look to top that rival again in the Parrot Key.
A 5-year-old son of Holy Bull, City of Weston captured the Blue Heron in his first start off the claim for trainer Peter Walder, who acquired the horse out of a $62,500 optional claimer at Gulfstream on March 15, in which the eight-time winner and $528,220-earner finished third.
Walder was drawn to the horse’s back class (The flashy grey won the Gallant Bob Stakes (G3) in 2013) and thought he could help the horse regain his graded stakes-winning form.
“He’s an old class horse. You don’t make $500,000 by accident,” Walder said. “He’s run against some really nice horses over the years, and he’s obviously got some talent. I just think the change of scenery has done him good. He’s spoiled to death in our barn, and I think he likes it.”
So much so, that City of Weston was able to run down the gritty, multiple-stakes winning Grande Shores and earn another stakes score in his first start for his new connections.
City of Weston has worked twice in preparation for the Parrot Key, most recently breezing four furlongs in 47.77 seconds last Saturday, May 30. That came after a four-furlong gate work on May 23 in which the Florida-bred was timed in 50.83 seconds.
Walder hopes to use the Parrot Key as a prep for the Smile Sprint (G2), part of Gulfstream’s Summit of Speed program on July 5.
“That’s been the goal ever since I claimed the horse,” Walder said. “He won a Grade 3 as a 3-year-old, and he’s a nice horse. There’s no doubt about that. If we can get him back to that form, then he’s definitely a serious sprinter.”
Grande Shores, who has finished first or second in 14 straight starts for trainer Stanley Gold, will look to turn the tables on City of Weston in the Parrot Key.
The 7-year-old Jacks or Better Farm homebred notably finished second by a neck to the multiple graded-stakes winning Valid in Gulfstream’s Fred Hooper Stakes (G3) during the Championship Meet in February. He also won the Claiming Crown Rapid Transit Stakes last December.
The Kirk Ziadie trained duo of Trev and Master Blender will also contest the Parrot Key. Singanothersong, Awesome Union, and Black Diamond Cat complete the field.
* Tiger Lily — eighth race, five furlongs turf, fillies and mares, 3-YO and up.
Averill Racing and Silver Oak Stable’s R Free Roll, winner of the Honorable Miss Handicap (G2) last summer at Saratoga, will make her turf debut in the Tiger Lily.
The 5-year-old daughter of Rockport Harbor is a six-time stakes winner who most recently captured Gulfstream’s Orange Blossom Handicap on April 4, using her trademark early speed to score a comfortable gate-to-wire victory over the Grade 1 stakes-placed Little Alexis. She will be ridden in the Tiger Lily by Edgard Zayas, who on Saturday will ride his first mounts since fracturing his hand in a spill on April 22.
R Free Roll will face 13 competitors in the 5-furlong Tiger Lily, including the top four finishers from Gulfstream’s Gracie Handicap on May 16, Little Michelle, Fascinante, Joann’s Wildcat and My Sweet Dove. The stakes-placed Katie’s Kiss, a recent allowance winner on April 18 for David Fawkes; and the Martin Wolfson-trained duo of Kipling’s Joy and Lori’s Store are also entered. The field is rounded out by Woo Pass, Ultimate Shopper, Sweet Forestry, Turf Fast, Jamie’s Dancer, and Awesomendensome.
* Tangelo – ninth race, seven furlongs dirt, 3-YOs.
R Sassy Lass and Dogwood Trail are likely favorites in a sever–horse field. R Free Lass is a stablemate of R Free Roll while Dogwood Trail is a stablemate of Grande Shores.
