BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Lure Him In will try to win the $75,000 Sunshine Classic for the second consecutive year Saturday when he takes on 11 Florida-bred rivals going a mile-and-an-eighth at Gulfstream Park.
Last year, the 8-year-old gelding was bumped at the start but rallied to run down Octane and win the $95,000 Sunshine Classic by head for his second career stakes victory. His only other black-type score came in the 2022 Sunshine Turf at Gulfstream.
Trainer Sam Wilensky is hoping Lure Him In can hit the winner’s circle again as he has been able to produce only a second and third in seven starts since last year’s Sunshine Classic.
“They got a big field for this one, but I feel like if he brings his ‘A’ game he should be tough,” Wilensky said.
Lure Him In was transferred to Wilensky’s barn in November and has since started twice. He was third behind winner Steel Sunshine in an upper-level, $62,500 optional claiming in November then fourth behind Sunshine Classic foe Secret Chat in a second condition, $62,500 optional claiming on Dec. 20, both going a mile at Gulfstream.
Prior to joining Wilensky however, he had two solid efforts against graded stakes horses with fourth-place finishes in both the Grade 3 Ghostzapper won by Il Miracolo at Gulfstream in March and the Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park in May.
Lure Him In has won eight of 48 lifetime starts with nine seconds and eight thirds while earning $530,623. Owned by C2 Racing Stable LLC, Double B Racing Stables, Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch and Mach 1 Stables, Lure Him In is by Ocala Stud’s leading Florida sire Khozan out of Alluring Lady, by Indygo Shiner and was bred by Stonehedge LLC.
Edwin Gonzalez has accepted the riding assignment and they will break from post three.
“Obviously the [race on Dec. 20] wasn’t his best performance. [Jockey] Edwin [Gonzalez] said he kind of got stuck on the rail and it was really, really deep. He’s a big, heavy horse and he doesn’t really like that,” Wilensky said. “We like our post position and we’ll be ready to roll.”
Secret Chat looks for his third straight victory and first in a stakes.
Before winning the aforementioned optional claiming in his last race in December, he won a first level, $20,000 optional claiming going seven furlongs at Gulfstream on Nov. 16.
Trained by Victor Barboza Jr. for breeder Gelfenstein Farm LLC, the 4-year-old Secret Chat has won half of his six career starts with two seconds including a seven-length score against state-bred special weight maidens in his first career start in August of 2023. This will be his third try against stakes horses after finishing second to Divieto in the 2023 Aventura at Gulfstream in his second start and fourth in the Grade 3 Lexington won by Encino at Keeneland in April.
An earner of $137,500, Secret Chat is by Union Rags out of La Vie Ross, by Medaglia d’Oro.
The grey or roan colt has drawn post four and will be ridden by Javier Castellano.
Briannjen Racing LLC’s Awesome Train is also in search of his third win in as many starts recently for trainer Antonio Sano, who just logged his 1,000 victory in North America Sunday at Gulfstream.
Awesome Train makes his stakes debut after winning a $35,000 claiming going seven furlongs on Nov. 22 and a first-level, $20,000 optional claiming going a mile on Dec. 13, both at Gulfstream.
The 4-year-old gelded son of Ocala Stud resident Awesome Slew has won four with two seconds and two thirds in 15 career efforts while banking $125,150. Bred in Florida by Belvedere Farm, Awesome Train is out of Selective Memory and was purchased by Sano out of the Boutte Sales consignment for $70,000 at the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales October Sale.
He will be ridden from post five by Tyler Gaffalione.
Rounding out the field are Power Humor and jockey Emisael Jaramillo, Khozeiress with rider Luis Saez, One Sharp Cookie with Edgard Zayas named to ride, Joel Rosario takes the call on Shaq Diesel, Belts ‘n Brooks with Jose Morelos up, Jorge Ruiz rides Lightning Tones, Souper Watson has Drayden Van Dyke taking the riding chores, Holiday Pay and jockey John Velazquez and Reylu Gutierrez will be aboard Big Martini.
