BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred 9-year-old Lure Him In, who has raced at 10 tracks in seven states during his 57-race career, adds to both lists Thursday with a start in an upper tier, $50,000 optional claiming at Fair Grounds. The Sam Wilensky-trained son of Ocala Stud’s perennially leading Florida sire Khozan is among eight 4-year-olds and older set to go a mile-and-a-sixteenth for a purse of $56,000.
Second in his last two starts, most recently against Florida-breds in the $75,000 Sunshine Classic going a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Gulfstream Park on January 10, Lure Him In looks for his first victory since taking the $70,000 Wildcat Red overnight handicap at the same distance at Gulfstream on June 8. Two starts back, he was a length-and-a-half shy of winner Steal Sunshine, again at eight-and-a-half furlongs, in the $70,000 Finallymadeit overnight handicap at Gulfstream on November 16.
With no signs of slowing down last year as an 8-year-old, his ledger for 2025 shows three wins with two seconds and third in eight starts while banking $190,000. He won his first two races last year, taking a second condition, $32,000 optional claiming going a mile-and-40 yards at Tampa Bay Downs in January and a second condition, $50,000 optional claiming racing a mile at Colonial Downs two months later in March. In August, he was fifth of seven in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar.
For his career, Lure Him In sports 11 wins, 12 seconds and nine thirds for a lifetime in-the-money rate of 56% while earning $735,753. He is owned by BAG Racing Stables, Double B Racing Stables, Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch and Mach 1 Stables and was bred by Stonehedge LLC. He is out of Alluring Lady, by Indygo Shiner.
Edwin Gonzalez will ride Lure Him In from six and they are 4-1 on the morning line.
On the other end of the age spectrum is 4-year-old Original Sin, a winner of a mile-and-a-sixteenth allowance race at Fair Grounds most recently on January 22.
Trained by Brendan Walsh, the Calumet Farm homebred has two wins and two thirds in five starts, including a length-and-a-quarter score in a one-mile maiden special weight in the slop at Churchill Downs on October 30.
Original Sin is by Curlin and looks to add to his lifetime bankroll of $127,250.
Ben Curtis will guide Original Sin from post four and they are the 3-1 program favorites.
Also set are Classic Legacy with Jareth Loveberry named to ride, Cultivate with Axel Concepcion in the saddle, Brian Hernandez Jr. will guide Corporate Power, Bedard has jockey Marcelino Pedroza Jr., Conquest Warrior will have James Graham aboard and Tarantino with Jose Ortiz up.
Return to the February 18 issue of Wire to Wire
