Mac Diarmida

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

A field of 12 will be led to the gate in Sunday’s $100,000 Mac Diarmida H. (G3) at
Gulfstream with two alternate entries waiting at the ready and one main-track
only entrant.

BURNING SUN (Danzig) will be making his first start in more than nine months.
The Bobby Frankel trainee’s last race was the Woodford Reserve Turf
Classic S. (G1), where he landed just off the board, 3 1/2 lengths behind the winner.
Prior to that, the six-year-old closed boldly but ran out of room in the Mervin H. Muniz Jr.
Memorial H. (G2). This will be the fourth start in the United States for the
bay, who recorded a Group 2 victory during his stay overseas, and Frankel excels
off the layoff (31 percent win). Burning Sun could prove impossible to deny in this 1 3/8-mile event
with Jerry Bailey.

SCOOTER ROACH (Mi Cielo) exits off a close fourth in the Ft. Lauderdale S.
where he was caught behind horses with no room to gain ground in the final strides.
In that contest, he scored the highest BRIS Speed figure of his career, a 104, his third
consecutive century-topping number on the turf. The Robert F. Carey Memorial H. (G3)
winner will be running late under Joe Bravo.

In his first turf start, NAVESINK RIVER (Unbridled) lost ground in the latter
stages of the Red Smith H. (G2) after battling for the lead in the early part of
the contest. Trainer Todd Pletcher returns the four-year-old to the grass to
improve on that finish, and Navesink River owns exceptional late speed, posting a 116
Late Pace rating in the Red Smith. He comes off a two-month layoff and could
finish well.

BROADWAY VIEW (Broad Brush) never fired in the Ft. Lauderdale, but has put up
the numbers in his previous performances to factor in this one. The
four-year-old colt owns a fine turn of foot, which should carry him into a decent placing against this field. Edgar Prado will be making his first start aboard the Nick Zito trainee.

CHANGE COURSE (Coronado’s Quest) will be making his first start against
graded company here and brings good form into this event. The five-year-old is one of three uncoupled entries for
trainer Graham Motion and could be a threat, as he has been able to strike
from just off the pace or from the back of the pack. GIGLI (Brz) (Clackson) runs valiantly in the early
parts of his races, but he’s weakened in the
stretch drive off all five U.S. starts. In order to land in good placing, John Velazquez will need to keep
him from getting in any pace duels in the opening parts of the race.

HOST (Tabasco Cat) is undefeated at Gulfstream in two career starts. The
five-year-old chestnut has the ability to run with the leaders or to come from
off the pace. He’s a contender for the gimmicks. COLONIAL
BAY (Pleasant Colony) improved in each of his past five performances for Motion,
earning better Speed figures in each of those races. He has two
starts at Gulfstream under his belt, each resulting in second-place finishes,
but he might be outclassed in the end here.

RIO GUAPORE (Brz) (Cigano-Road) will be making his first start on North
American turf. Trainer Marcelo Castro will add blinkers and give the chestnut
first-time Lasix. However, he faces a difficult challenge here. MACAW
(Ire) (Bluebird) was no threat in the W.L. McKnight H. (G2) in his last outing,
a disappointment after charging from the rear of the pack to take the John Henry
S. before that. He hasn’t run his best races at Gulfstream. IN HAND (Belong to Me) has never been able to keep up while facing graded
competition and we do not believe he will do so here. SWAGGER STICK (Cozzene) is
making his first start in North America and we will just watch this time.

FINAL PROPHECY (World Stage [Ire]) is one of two alternate entrants. He comes
off a disappointing finish in the Ft. Lauderdale where he faltered and faded to last. He has placed well against lesser company, but has not been consistent
in his races. LAST ANSWER (Langfuhr) has also been fairly impressive against a
lower class, but has not put up the numbers to make him a major contender here.
TAP DAY (Pleasant Tap) is the field’s only main-track-only entrant. Trainer Mark
Hennig has won with five of his last 12 starts and the four-year-old colt should be a
top threat if the race is moved.