Its been five seasons since sophomore Foresight took home this title for this trainer, and now Dom has put his hopes in this seasons sophomore Pulpit. It will be his first try at winning a stakes title in eleven career starts, and his first try at going over a mile in length.
- The Harlan ( Gr. III ) – Purse $100.000
- Gulfstream Park – For Three Years old and Up
- One Mile and a sixteenth – Main Track
- December 14th, 2019.
Seven entries all from different trainers will find the gate in the first of five Graded stakes races to take part here at GP. Inside runner Hollywood Ballet since coming to Nakamura Stables and making the add of blinkers and shadow roll has found the winners enclosure twice. Will be looking for the threepeat in this event, and with the rail position, he very well could make that dream come true today.
To his outside will break Have A Seat ( Maxmillion Farm ) who hacd two back to back wins going a mile in distance over two separate tracks. His most recent Gr. III Bold Ruler Hdcp. try had him close to within a length by the wire going seven eights in distance. This longer affair should put him right there at the line, hopefully for Max with a victory.
Number three will be John Henry’s Brief And Wonderous who was hoping that his last two starts against Grade II company would have been more productive then placing twelveth and tenth respectively. The chestnut colt was a three hundred dollar purchase from Fractious, and the slip back to this level may help to turn him around. He has just a runner finish going longer in four starts.
Starting from mid post number four will be Fractious and his gray sophomore Storming. While this was a $225 purchase from John Henry in late September giving that trainer back some of his money, in Storming’s first start for his new trainer in Gr. II Twilight Derby from post ten, he would break quickly and then fade down the lane to finish four back in sixth. Has just win in nine starts this season, and will need to be in a stalking position to put in his best effort, otherwise he may fade late once again.
Wearing number five silks will be Pure Gifts ( Mb Stables ) who has two runner-up efforts against Grade III company runners, as well as taking home a victory in the $200 ALB Hdcp. All three of these affairs took place going the mile and an eighth in distance. The four year old likes to challenge late, so hopefully the short distance will not leave him out of the top trio. All depends how the instructions are laid out for rider Lopez.
As mentioned earlier, Pulpit is looking to give his trainer his second Harlan. A muddy surface at Aqueduct for his last stakes try did not agree with him, placing fourth once again in his past two starts. Has three wins in nine starts this season, but they all came in the first quarter of the season, so has his trainer managed to find the answer for this black colt to turn things around and get back to the front by the wire.
The final runner will be Arindel’s Broken Tap who is coming off a victory in the $75 Millions Classic Preview which took place across state at Calder. That affair was at today’s distance, so he should be trying to fire once again for the lead. Seems to be producing in every other race in his past six starts, so lets hope he breaks that trend today. His route record is 9 ( 4-2-1 ), so this distance should play well for him.
Picks– 2-1-6
Duffer
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
