BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Baoma Corporation’s homebred Iron Hand will likely be among the favorites in Saturday’s $75,000 Bear’s Den, a one-mile stakes on grass for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park. The gray or roan colt by Bridlewood Farm’s Valiant Minister looks to extend a four-race win streak coming into the Bear’s Dean and the 83 Beyer Speed Figure achieved in winning on June 6 is the best last out number among the nine entrants.

In his fourth career start and first on synthetic after three thirds on dirt, Iron Hand won a five-and-a-half-furlong maiden special weight for Florida-breds going five-and-a-half furlongs on Jan. 19.

 

He has not lost since.

“The question mark is: Will he like turf?” trainer Jose D’Angelo said. “There are some horses that like Tapeta better than turf. I’ve worked him on grass and he’s looked okay.

“I always liked him. He started his career on dirt but when I saw him train in the morning, I knew he was going to like a change of surface. He worked good on Tapeta and the horse won. I really liked the gallop-out and knew he’d like two-turn races.”

Iron Hand has won three allowance races, on the all-weather course at Gulfstream, starting with a neck victory going a mile-and-70-yards on April 11. He then won by five-and-a-half-lengths going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on May 9 before winning by nearly six lengths, again at a mile-and-70-yards.

“He’s improving. He’s moving forward,” D’Angelo said. “I’m very happy with him.”

 

Iron Hand has a career record of four wins in seven starts with three thirds, all under jockey Edwin Gonzalez, while earning $144,100.

He is out of Bev’s Humor, by Distorted Humor and Gonzalez has the return mount from post seven.

I Know I Know will get another chance at Iron Hand after finishing second to his fellow Florida-bred in the previously mentioned allowance race on June 6. However, trainer Patrick Biancone also has the gelded son of Jess’s Dream cross-entered in the $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby going nine furlongs on the grass at Ellis Park Saturday.

Although his last win came in a non-winners of two, $75,000 optional claiming going a mile-and-70-yards on the all-weather course at Gulfstream in October, he has several solid efforts in stakes company since.

 

Most recently, he was third, three-and-a-half lengths shy of Florida-bred winner Prevent in the $75,000 Soldier’s Dance going a mile-and-70-yards at Gulfstream on July 5. He chased home winner Mi Bago in two stakes over the winter, finishing fifth in the $100,000 Pulpit gong seven-and-a-half furlongs on the grass in November and fourth in the $150,000 Dania Beach going a mile-and-70-yards on synthetic on New Year’s Day.

I Know I Know has two wins, two seconds and a third in 10 starts while banking $131,530 for Amy E. Dunne, who co-owns him with Biancone. Biancone also bred I Know I Know.

Luca Panici takes the call on I Know I Know for the first time and they will depart from the outside post nine.

Florida-bred Win With Faith looks to break through after finishing second in three of his last four races. 

He missed by a length-and-a-half when second to Bear’s Den rival Layabout in a first condition, $75,000 optional claiming going a mile on the grass at Gulfstream on June 20 and was second to Tank in both the $80,000 English Channel on May 3 going a mile on the grass at Gulfstream and in the $110,000 Equistaff Sophomore Turf racing a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the Tampa Bay turf on March 30.

Win With Faith is by Ocala Stud stallion Win Win Win out of Jyles, by Yes It’s True and was bred in Florida by Lara Run LLC. Owned by Laura Murphy, the gelding has won two with three seconds and three thirds with earnings of $108,640. 

 

Trainer Ronald Spatz has given the riding assignment to Miguel Vasquez and they have post six.

Also set for the Bear’s Den are Lastabitlonger, who will be ridden by Leonel Reyes, Cipriano Gil has the call on Outta Money, Layabout and jockey Jonathan Ocasio, Reylu Gutierrez rides Forged Steel, Culpa will be guided by Wilfred Vasquez and Rajiv Maragh has the mount on Reach for the Rose.

Run since 2015, the Bear’s Den has been won by Florida-breds four times including My Point Exactly (2015), Scraps (2019), Monforte (2020) and Officiating (2021).

Return to the July 31 issue of Wire to Wire