BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Three accomplished Florida-bred turf sprinters are among an overflow field scheduled for Saturday’s $165,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint, a five-furlong contest for 4-year-olds and older. Among the 12 entries and three on the also-eligible list are Reef Runner, Yes I Am Free and Capture the Lion, who are eligible for the $15,000 Florida-bred bonus presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association. Reef Runner and Yes I Am Free are listed in the body of the race while Capture the Lion is first on the also-eligible list.
Reef Runner, a homebred for Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway, Ark., is right at home on the Gulfstream Park grass where he has won two with two seconds in five career starts including a two-length score against upper level, $75,000 optional claimers going five furlongs in July.
His most recent trip came against stakes horses over the course on Dec. 21 when he overcame a difficult start to finish third in the Listed Janus won by Turf Sprint-rival Coppola. After slamming into the starting gate at the break, Reef Runner and jockey Miguel Vasquez found themselves last of 11 and more than 10 lengths behind Coppola, who broke on top to establish an unchallenged lead.
Trained by David Fawkes, Reef Runner has proven himself against stakes horses at Gulfstream with a two-length victory in the $95,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint that was moved to the synthetic course on Sept. 24. He was also second to Crimson Advocate in the $81,000 Roar going five furlongs on the turf at Gulfstream in May.
A bay 4-year-old colt, Reef Runner is by The Big Beast out of Paradise Bay, by Blame and has a career record of four wins, three seconds and two thirds in 14 starts while earning $249,515.
Set at 12-1 on the morning line, Reef Runner will again be ridden by Vasquez and they have post 11.
Yes I Am Free also had trouble getting underway in the Janus as he had his head turned at the break. Jockey Junior Alvarado hustled him to within four-and-a-half lengths of Coppola around the far turn but Yes I Am Free was then crowded by rivals in the stretch and finished tenth.
The 9-year-old gelding returns to the barn of Laura Cazares Saturday and tries for his second victory in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint, having won the 2023 version.
Yes I Am Free has won 13 of 40 career races with seven seconds and five thirds while earning $799,094. He is owned by Golden Kernel Racing Stable, the nom de course for John and Paula Szalay of Peninsula, Ohio. The Szalays got the chestnut gelding by way of a $62,500 claim at Gulfstream in 2021.
Yes I Am Free is by Uncaptured out of Yes It’s Valid, by Yes It’s True and was bred in Florida by Kenneth H. Davis and the late Sherry R. Mansfield.
He is 15-1 in the program and will be ridden by Emisael Jaramillo from post two.
Coppola is the defending champion in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint for trainer Dale Romans and owner Hammer Time Stable LLC and Sport of Kings Racing.
The 6-year-old son of Into Mischief has won half of his six career starts over the Gulfstream Park turf including the $106,000 Silks Run in March of last year.
Coppola sports a lifetime record of nine wins with a second and three thirds in 27 starts while banking $760,101.
He is 4-1 on the morning line and will be ridden from post 12 by Tyler Gaffalione.
Nobals is the 7-2 program favorite for trainer Larry Rivelli and owner Patricia’s Hope LLC.
The 6-year-old gelding makes his first start since Nov. 16 when he won the Grade 2 Kennedy Road by three-quarters of a length after six furlongs on the synthetic main track at Woodbine.
Victorious in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita, Nobals has won half of his 22 career races with three seconds while earning $1,636,741.
Jockey E. T. Baird will ride Nobals from post nine.
Should Capture the Lion draw in, he will making his first start for owner and trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who claimed the son of Uncaptured for $62,500 out of his last race, a fourth-place finish over synthetic on Jan. 1.
Edwin Gonzalez is named on Capture the Lion and they are 15-1 on the morning line.
Rounding out the field are Johnny Podres with Irad Ortiz Jr. taking the riding assignment, Mucho del Oro and jockey Antonio Fresu, Axthelm and rider Edgard Zayas, That’s Right with John Velazquez in the saddle, No Nay Hudson (Ire) will be guided by Junior Alvarado, Panther Island with Leonel Reyes up, Portofino has Jose Ortiz named to ride and Smithwick’s Spice with jockey Jorge Gonzalez. Others on the also-eligible list are Foxtrotanna and Abrir Caminos (Chi).
Return to the January 24 issue of Wire to Wire