BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Assigned to carry to co-top weight of 122 pounds, Florida-bred Lure Him In returned to the winner’s circle after a short respite with a wire-to-wire victory in the $70,000 Wildcat Red overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and older at Gulfstream Park Sunday. The Sam Wilensky-trained 8-year-old gelding won for the third time in his last four starts while conceding up to eight pounds to his six rivals over a mile-and-a-sixteenth.

Jockey Edwin Gonzalez had Lure Him In first out of the gate from post seven before they were joined by Edgard Zayas and Super Corinto (Arg) to their inside heading into the clubhouse turn. Despite the contention, those two settled into a reasonable :23.50 first quarter mile before Lure Him In separated down the backstretch to lead by two-and-a-half lengths while finishing the half-mile in :47.02. Lure Him remained in control around the turn and into the stretch as Super Corinto surrendered and Florida-bred Awesome Train moved in to second. Awesome Train closed the gap in deep stretch but get no closer than a length as the runner-up while Lure Him In finished in 1:43.05 on the fast track. Relampago Verde was another three-and-a-half lengths back in third followed by Life is Precious, Super Corinto, Bold Locker and Florida-bred Manor House. Northern Flame and Uranium were scratched.

Lure Him paid $6 to win.

Owned by C2 Racing Stable LLC, Double B Racing, Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch and Mach 1 Racing, Lure Him In started the year at Tampa Bay Downs with two-and-a-half-length score against second level, $32,000 optional claimers going a mile-and-40 yards on Jan 11. After a two-month break, Lure Him then won a second level, $50,000 optional claiming by nearly three lengths at Colonial Downs on March 15 before traveling to Churchill Downs on May 9, finished second to Warrior Richard in a $50,000 claiming at a mile-and-a-sixteenth.  

Lure Him In has now won 11 of 52 career starts from Santa Anita to Gulfstream with 10 seconds and eight thirds with earnings of $672,513. Bred in Florida by Stonehedge LLC, he is from the first crop by five-time leading Florida sire Khozan, who stands at Ocala Stud, out of Alluring Lady, by Indygo Shiner.

Return to the June 10 issue of Wire to Wire