Crown’ Kicks off Championship Meet

By Christina Bossinakis

 Only days removed from the conclusion of a successful inaugural Gulfstream Park West meeting, Gulfstream Park is poised to kick off its 2014/15 Championship meeting this Saturday. With little time to cool their heels following its first swing at running a fall meet at the oval formerly operating as Calder Race Course, Gulfstream officials, horsemen and women alike hope that the momentum generated during the 42-day session will be carried over to the organization’s marquee winter meeting. 

“We’re extremely pleased with the results of our first meet at Gulfstream Park West,” said Tim Ritvo, Gulfstream Park President and Chief Operating Officer of the Stronach Group. “We believe it will be a great way to kick off the winter season.” 

Headlining the Hallandale oval’s opening-day card is the highly popular Claiming Crown, an eight-stakes showcase worth $1 million in purses. Topping the day’s action is the $200,000-guaranteed Jewel, for 3-year-olds and up going nine furlongs on the main track. A pair of turf events are slated at 1 1/16 mile–offering a purse of $125,000 (guaranteed): the Emerald for 3-year-olds and up and the Tiara for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up. Rounding out Gulfstream’s stakes action on Claiming Crown day are the Canterbury (five furlongs turf); Express (six furlongs); Rapid Transit 
(seven furlongs); Glass Slipper (one-mile, for fillies and mares) and the Iron Horse (1 1/16 miles). 
Among some of the notable performers scheduled to compete this weekend are Ribo Bobo (Louis Quatorze), who is slated to contest the Express; Palatine Hill (Roman Ruler), heading to the Rapid Transit; and Courtney Ryan (With Distinction), who is pointing toward the Glass Slipper. Trained by Jason Servis, Ribo Bobo won the 2013 renewal of the Express, and earlier this season, collected three stakes victories, including Gulfstream Park’s Sunshine Millions Sprint against fellow Florida-breds Jan. 18. Peter Walder saddles the ultra-consistent Palatine Hill, who has hit the board in seven of eight starts this season, including the Skip Trial S. at Gulfstream Park last July. Also returning to a track that has proven very kind in the past is Courtney Ryan, winner of four of her last five starts, including the most recent going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park West Nov. 2. An earner of over $300,000, the 5-year-old mare finished a close-up second behind Carolina Lizard (Saint Anddan) in last season’s 1 1/16-mile Iron Lady S. on Claiming Crown day. Her trainer Tamara Levy is looking to go one better this time around. 

“I never really felt two turns, or 1 1/16 miles, was her best distance,” explained Levy, who will also be represented by Chillin Dylan (Mongoose) in the Iron Horse. “Last year, she hooked up right out of the gate. She was really fit and really ready to run in that race, but it was just a battle all the way to the wire.” 

Hoping the Glass Slipper’s one-mile trip will spell success for her hard-knocking maven, Levy added, “I always prefer her going a mile at Gulfstream, especially because it’s a flat mile. She really has excelled at that distance, and she really likes it [at Gulfstream Park]. Especially the last bit of this year, I’ve had a hard time getting some [one-mile] races to go for her, so we started sprinting her at some elongated sprints at seven furlongs. She’s probably going to be a little sharp over there and I will definitely like running her at the one-turn mile versus going two turns.” 
Asked where she would like to see Courtney Ryan in the early going of the Glass Slipper, Levy said, “It looks like there will be quite a bit of speed there, and I don’t really want her to be part of that. I’d like to just sit the trip and let [jockey] Abdiel Jaen make his move when he’s ready.” 

Crowning Achievement… 

Sporting one of the broadest and arguably most potent arsenals heading into this weekend’s Claiming Crown races is trainer Jorge Navarro, who finished third with 18 victories behind Antonio Sano (22 wins) and Marcus Vitali (20) at the conclusion of Sunday’s closing-day card at Gulfstream Park West. Navarro, who was the leading trainer at Monmouth Park the last two seasons, could have as many as 10 line up on Claiming Crown day. Chief among them is J B’s Unc(Cactus Ridge), who is earmarked for the Iron Horse. 

“He’s one of my favorite horses,” said Navarro. “He’s been really good to us. He’s very special.” 

On the board in all eight starts this term, the High Point Thoroughbred runner finished second in his two most recent starts, including a one-mile and 70-yard test at Gulfstream Park West Nov. 14. 

“[Gulfstream Park West] is a racetrack that is hard to get a horse ready for,” Navarro explained. “You usually need one, but I think he’ll be ready for this weekend. I think he’ll be tough to beat.” 

Also representing Navarro this weekend is High Point’s Goodtimehadbyall (Quiet American), targeting the Rapid Transit. A winner at Monmouth Park Aug. 10, the gelding faded to fifth last time out after stumbling at the start of a $62,500 optional claimer at Belmont Sept. 18. 

“The owners wanted to run him in New York and try him against better horses,” offered Navarro. “He’s been training really well since then. It’s a shame we couldn’t find him a race [at GPW] to give him a prep [for the Rapid Transit]. He loves the 7/8ths distance. He’s another great horse to have around.” 

‘White’ Out Forecast at Gulfstream… 

A partnership that continues to pay dividends for Navarro is the one struck with Gregory Schwartz’s White Wabbit Wacing LLC who, with the assistance of Navarro, rounded out Monmouth’s 2014 meet as leading owner. Schwartz, who heads a Florida-based lawfirm, also concluded Gulfstream Park West’s meet with 13 victories, good enough to tie Frank Calabrese for the top spot. Looking to pick up where that combination left off earlier this season, Navarro may saddle as many as six runners this Saturday for White Wabbit. Chief among the operation’s entrants is the hard-knocking Didn’t Take It (Put It Back), who recorded all of his three victories this season going five panels on the lawn. The chestnut, who is slated to contest the Canterbury, will likely be joined by stablemates Pirates Vow (Broken Vow) and Full Moon’s Back (Put It Back). Determinato (Closing Argument), trained by Aubrey Maragh, is also likely to represent White Wabbit in the five-furlong test on the turf. 

“We claimed Didn’t Take It for $20,000 [at Gulfstream Mar. 19] and he has earned over $100,000 for us,” explained White Wabbit Advisor Darren De Lucia. “He ran in [the Oct. 25 Gin Rummy Championship S.] at Gulfstream Park West and he was very unlucky [finished fourth, beaten 1 1/4 lengths]. He should have won that race. We’re going to come right back with him and hope for a cleaner trip this time.” 

With as many as four runners in the Canterbury, De Lucia indicated the idea is to compliment each other’s styles, and not neutralize one another. 

“There is a lot of speed usually in these five-furlong races,” he explained. “A couple of our horses have speed and a couple of them are going to sit. To tell you the truth, my favorite horse in the race is Didn’t Take It. I like his style. [Jockey] Paco Lopez is going to ride him and he is going to sit a couple of lengths and make one run and, hopefully, get the money.” 

In addition to the Canterbury, White Wabbit will likely be represented by Loverbill (Not For Love) (Navarro) and Quiz Whiz (Wiseman’s Ferry) (Aubrey Maragh) in the Express and Delta Bluesman (Wagon Limit) (Navarro) in the Emerald.Lasso (Rahy) (Navarro) also remains a possibility for the 8 1/2-furlong turf event. 

“We have a really good group lined up for this year’s Claiming Crown,” said De Lucia. “Hopefully, they’ll get the chance to run the way we think they will.”