BY BROCK SHERIDAN
BC Racing LLC’s Prevent, who has been close to producing a stakes victory on the turf in three previous tries, makes another attempt Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the $75,000 Not Surprising against a field of eight 3-year-olds going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass. Prevent joins Echo Lane and Secret Lover in running for an additional $20,000 Top 3 bonus for Florida-breds presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Trained by Juan Alvarado, Prevent comes into the Not Surprising out of a fourth-place finish behind winner Freedom Principle and runner-up In a Jam in the $80,000 English Channel going a mile on the turf on May 4 at Gulfstream.
In a Jam returns for the Not Surprising as the 2-1 morning line favorite as does Dancing Groom, who was steadied at the top of the stretch before finishing sixth in the English Channel.
Prevent’s last three starts have all come on the grass starting with a second-place finish to Crystal Quest in the $100,000 Equistaff Sophomore Turf for Florida-breds going a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Tampa Bay Downs on March 24. He also won a first level, $75,000 optional claiming going a mile on the Gulfstream Park grass on April 12 before the English Channel.
His other start against stakes horses on the grass came when sixth in the seven-and-a-half-furlong Pulpit won by Noted at Gulfstream on Dec. 9.
Prevent is by Pleasant Acres Stallions’ Neolithic out of Bossy Gal, by Pioneerof the Nile and was bred in Florida by Katia Perez Ozuna. A $15,000 purchase by Brian Cohen out of the Las Palmas consignment at the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Winter Mixed Sale, Prevent has earned $184,000 from three wins and four seconds in 12 starts.
Hector Diaz Jr. will ride Prevent from post three.
Echo Lane has won half of his six starts this year, two of which have come on the Gulfstream Park turf. He won a $25,000 maiden optional claiming going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass on Jan. 20 and a first level, $20,000 optional claiming at the same distance two starts back on May 3.
In his most recent start, trainer Rohan Crichton sent Echo Lane to Pimlico for the $100,000 James W. Murphy going a mile on the turf where jockey Joel Rosario had to steady the son of Treasure Beach (GB) shortly after the start and he finished fifth behind winner Fulmineo.
Echo Lane is out of Misbehavin Miss, by Mineshaft and was bred in Florida by Echo Lane of Ocala LLC. He is owned by Anthony Rogers, for whom Crichton claimed Echo Lane for $25,000 out of a maiden race in December.
He has three wins, two seconds and three thirds from 13 career starts with earnings of $113,190.
Echo Lane is 9-2 in the program and Miguel Vasquez has the call from post eight.
Trainer Antonio Sano looks for Secret Lover to build on his last out victory against non-winners of two, $35,000 claimers going a mile on the main track. That has been his only win in six starts this year, mainly in optional claiming company. His only other career victory was a nearly nine-length score against $50,000 maiden optional claimers over a sloppy mile at Gulfstream on Dec. 23.
Secret Lover is by Journeyman Stud stallion Khozan out of Wave Bye Bye, by Congrats and he was bred by Brent and Crystal Fernung. He also has two seconds and three thirds in his 14 career starts.
The Fernung’s sold Secret Lover through their Journeyman Bloodstock consignment at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales October Yearling Sale in 2022 where Alexander Arellano selected him for $8,000. He sold for $24,000 the following year at the OBS June Sale where Cammarota Racing took him out of the IJC Racing Stables consignment.
Secret Lover is 30-1 in the program and Joseph Trejos will ride him from post two.
Rounding out the field are, Leonel Reyes rides Inherent Promise, Oishi will have Jesus Rios in the irons, Dancing Groom will be ridden by Luca Panici and Cipriano Gil has the mount on El Chato.
