Play Me Some Mountain Music

A well-matched group of 10 newly turned sophomore males is set to face the starter for Saturday's GIII Dania Beach S., the first graded test of the new year on the grass in South Florida.

Robert and Lawana Low's Mountain Music Man (Bluegrass Cat) graduated in a single appearance over the Belmont main track Sept. 26, but has shown further improvement with a switch to the turf. The half-brother to MSW & MGISP turfer Tourist (Tiznow) made a tremendous impression in his first try over the surface, winning the Oct. 30 Awad S. at Belmont, but couldn't quite get the job done last time, when he raced through at the fence to lead the Pulpit S. field into the Gulfstream Park West stretch Nov. 28, only to be outfinished by Swagger Jagger (Crown of Thorns) and Life Imitates Art (More Than Ready).

The latter is trained by Chad Brown, whose More Than Ready gelding Night Prowler was a troubled third in the 2014 Pulpit S. before getting back on top in last year's Dania Beach. Life Imitates Art has crossed the line second in each of his four career starts, but was awarded the victory in an Oct. 18 maiden at Belmont after being bumped late. He didn't find as much trouble in the Pulpit as Night Prowler did, as he saved ground and had running room, but just missed. The Brown stable is also represented by Ray's the Bar (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), third to Isotherm (Lonhro {Aus}) in Belmont's GIII Pilgrim S. Sept. 26 and a somewhat troubled 11th at 8-1 in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Oct. 30. Isotherm, unbeaten in two tries on the grass, returns to his preferred footing after finishing 13th in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Surgical Strike (Red Giant) was sixth, beaten nearly three lengths in the Pulpit S., but has the biggest excuse. Like Life Imitates Art, he managed to clip the hedge and save all the ground, but was strung up in traffic for the final sixteenth of a mile. He is eligible to go better here if Julien Leparoux is able to work out a trip from the outside gate.