Gulfstream Park Breeders’ Cup

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Eleven turf specialists will battle it out in Hallandale, Florida, on Sunday
in the Gulfstream Park Breeders’ Cup H. (G1). The grassy 1 3/8-mile affair
features HOST (Tabasco Cat), with red-hot Javier Castellano up. The chestnut
five-year-old freaked last time in the Mac Diarmida H. (G3), a race
run under the exact same conditions here at Gulfstream, and turned in a
career-best performance while proving he can get this distance. We think the
John Kimmel trainee can wheel that win right back here and will use him in all
the exotics with a 5-1 morning line.

NAVESINK RIVER (Unbridled) enters for conditioner Todd Pletcher off
a close neck loss in the Mac Diarmida, recording the same BRIS Speed rating
(110) as the winner. The bay was just recently switched to the lawn after two
fourth-place finishes in Grade 3 dirt events, and seems to relish the weeds more
than the main track. The four-year-old will have the services of John Velazquez,
who always pairs well with Pletcher (15-5-1-4 in the last two weeks).

Morning-line favorite MUSTANFAR (Unbridled) must be respected. The Kiaran
McLaughlin trainee closed with a rush to take his four-year-old bow in an
optional claiming event here on February 10, and should get speed to run at in
this one as well. The chestnut can also get the distance as his other most
recent win came in the 1 1/2-mile Sycamore Breeders’ Cup S. (G3) at Keeneland
last October. We’ll have the four-year-old in the bottom of the gimmicks.

SWAGGER STICK (Cozzene) looks interesting after one U.S. start, a fifth-place
finish in the Mac Diarmida. The gray recorded an impressive Speed rating of 107
in that one and appears to be an underlay at long odds. We wouldn’t be surprised
to see the four-year-old get up for a part if he can close like he did last
time.

The Kenny McPeek-trained PRINCE ARCH (Arch) has been away from the races for
more than six months but has been training forwardly over the Gulfstream strip,
drilling a half-mile in :48 3/5 on February 27. We’ll play the bay in the bottom
of the trifectas. DEMETEOR (Dehere) may have needed his last start in the Tampa
Bay Breeders’ Cup S. after a two-month winter vacation and could be a formidable
opponent in this one. We’ll also use this gelding in the bottom of the exotics.

NIIGON (Unbridled) tried the grass for the first time last out and found it
to his liking, finishing second by a neck in an allowance here in Hallandale.
Still, we think the Queen’s Plate S. hero needs a start against this level of
competition. RIO GUAPORE (Brz) (Cigano-Road) enters in similar fashion as
Swagger Stick, having made just one start stateside with that coming in the Mac
Diarmida. The six-year-old finished ninth in that event, however, and may be
outclassed here.

GIGLI (Brz) (Clackson) has made four starts for conditioner Bobby Frankel,
with his best finish coming in the Bowling Green H. (G2) where the
seven-year-old finished third. An impressive 104 in the Mac Diarmida may merit
some consideration, but we have to go against. MACAW (Ire) (Bluebird) lost his
rider in the Mac Diarmida and no longer appears in his best form. We’ll let him
beat us. QUEST STAR (Broad Brush) has been off since November and appears a step
below these. We’ll watch for now.