BROCK SHERIDAN
Multiple stakes-winner Me and Mr. C will take on a solid group of older horses Saturday when the Florida-bred gelding goes to the post in the $75,000 Mr. Steele at Gulfstream Park. Set for a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf, the Mr. Steele has attracted a field of nine 3-year-olds and older with Me and Mr. C running for an additional $20,000 Top 3 Florida-bred bonus presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Me and Mr. C looks to return to his form of last summer when he rattled off three consecutive stakes victories starting with the $90,000 Soldier’s Dancer against Florida-breds on the Gulfstream synthetic in May. The Mike Maker-trained gelding then won the $102,000 Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial on the grass at Horseshoe Indianapolis in July and the $192,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup at Ellis Park in August.
Me and Mr. C has not won in five starts since but comes into Saturday’s test off of a third-place finish behind Forever Souper in the $100,000 ESMARK Turf Classic against Florida-breds at Tampa Bay Downs on March 24.
By Journeyman Stud’s Khozan out of Abiding, by Dynaformer, Me and Mr. C is owned by Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher and was bred by Stonehedge LLC. He has 10 wins, seven seconds and six thirds in 38 career races while earning $589,589.
Hector Diaz Jr. will ride Me and Mr. C from post four.
Main Event, who won the Grade 3 Fort Lauderdale while leading from start to finish on the Gulfstream turf on Dec. 30, looks for his first win in his third start of the year.
Trained by Fernando Abreu for Harrell Ventures LLC, Main Event led throughout much of the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida presented by Corniche going a mile-and-three-eighths at Gulfstream on March 2 but was passed in the stretch to finish fifth, five lengths behind winner Starting Over. He also finished off the board in the nine-furlong Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational won by Warm Heart at Gulfstream on Jan. 27.
Main Event is by Bernardini out of Total Knockout, by Unbridled’s Song and was a $130,000 purchase by bloodstock agent Steve Young at the 2021 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale where he was consigned by Ocala Stud. He has since earned $463,483 from five wins and a second in 15 lifetime starts.
Main Event has drawn post seven and will be ridden by Edgard Zayas.
Win for the Money makes his 2023 debut for trainer Mark Casse and owner Live Oak Stud.
The 5-year-old gelded son of Mohaymen finished last year with a third-place finish to Conglomerate in the Grade 3 Valedictory going a mile-and-a-half on the Woodbine synthetic main track on Dec. 3.
He has won three of 12 career starts with four seconds and a third and looks to add to his bankroll of $235,808.
Edwin Gonzalez has the riding assignment from the outside post nine.
Others set for the Mr. Steele are Love Me Not and jockey Jose Morelos, Marward (GB) with Leonel Reyes named to ride, Benvolio will be ridden by Sonny Leon and Eldon’s Prince will carry Miguel Vasquez.
