Streaks on Line in Florida
Request For Parole and Balto Star will put two-race winning streaks on the line when they meet in today’s $250,000 Gulfstream Park Breeders’ Cup Handicap in Florida.
A Grade I at 1 3/8 miles on the turf, the race lured six others -- Kicken Kris, Man From Wicklow, the defending champion, Magic Mecke, Quest Star, Hard Buck and Slew Valley -- but a lot of the parimutuel attention will be focused on Request For Parole and Balto Star.
Trained by Stan Hough for owners Jeri and Sam Knighton, Request For Parole has a stakes win at the meet, having won the Mac Diarmida Handicap on Jan. 25.
The 5-year-old Judge T.C. horse, who also won an allowance race Jan. 11, has taken three of four on the Gulfstream Park turf course and was second in his lone defeat in an allowance race April 10.
Balto Star, a 6-year-old Glitterman gelding, has won the Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct and the W.L. McKnight Handicap at Calder in succession.
Owned and trained by Rick Violette Jr., Man From Wicklow won this race by nearly five lengths last year.
Race of the day: Ema Bovary, the 5-year-old, Chilean-bred mare, will try for her eighth consecutive win in the $100,00 Las Flores Handicap at Santa Anita.
One for the road: Purge, who was impressive breaking his maiden Aug. 16 at Saratoga, makes his return for Pletcher in today’s third at Gulfstream Park.
Exotically speaking: A pick three using Snorter in the fifth, Chauncey and Coronado’s Pride in the sixth and Dinan, Royal Footage, Damn The Torpedoes and Spend Spend Spend in the seventh.
Winners: Previous day/meet total: 5/132. Money: Previous day/meet total: $30.60/$720.80. Total money bet: $738.