HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Carlos David, who split his stable between Gulfstream Park and Monmouth Park following the conclusion of the Championship meet here last spring, is back at full force in South Florida for the fall. In Sunday’s $61,000 allowance co-feature for 2-year-old fillies that lured a field of eight, David has likely favorite Me Governor and her speedy stablemate Popstyle, both of whom campaigned up north throughout the summer.
The first of two allowance and optional-claiming races on the card, the juvenile dash is five furlongs on the turf, weather permitting, and shares top billing with a similarly conditioned event for older horses going six furlongs on the main track with Concrete Glory likely to go postward an overwhelming favorite for leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
Despite splitting his barn this summer, David finished third in the standings here during the recently concluded Royal Palm session with 37 victories. His outstanding 30 percent win rate tied for first with Joseph in that category during the long session. David also won a dozen races at Monmouth and a half-dozen more in New York during that same period, including the Maryfield Stakes with Belle’s Blue Bell in New Jersey and the Statue of Liberty for New York-sired 3-year-old fillies with My Shea D Lady at Saratoga.
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Me Governor made her first three career starts at Monmouth, winning her maiden on dirt at second asking before switching to turf for the first time and finishing third in the Colleen Stakes. She has been idle since finishing fourth behind the speedy Kimchi Cat after forcing the early pace in the Bolton Landing on Aug. 18 at Saratoga, a race switched from grass to a good main track.
“Anytime you go to Saratoga you’re racing against the best, and I thought that was a decent effort from her,” David said. “I put blinkers on her for this race because she really didn’t accelerate away from there as I’d hoped.
“She has some pedigree for the turf, she ran very well behind that monster of Wesley Ward’s [Dreamaway] in the Colleen, and maybe she’ll like Tapeta too because I think there’s a good chance this race will come off the grass as well on Sunday.”
Popstyle began her career locally, graduating in impressive fashion over the synthetic track before shipping north to finish fourth on turf, a head behind Me Governor, in the Colleen and fifth in an allowance race on the main track at Colonial Downs.
“I think she went a little too fast on the lead in her last start and I believe her best surface is probably Tapeta, which should work out well for her if this race is taken off the turf as I kind of expect,” David said.
The David duo might receive their stiffest test from yet another horse who spent the summer campaigning up north, the well-traveled Obliging, whose first three starts came at Monmouth; Woodbine, where she finished fifth in the My Dear Stakes; and in the Bolton Landing when she finished a non-threatening sixth, 2 1/2 length behind Me Governor. Obliging is trained by Jorge Delgado, who also split his stable between Monmouth and Gulfstream with considerable success this summer.
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◗ Concrete Glory is hard to overlook in race 9. He has captured 7 of 10 starts since being claimed for $6,250 by Joseph in December 2022 and posted Beyer Speed Figures in the low to mid-90s in five of those races, but he has started just once since February. In July, he finished a disappointing and well-beaten second behind Yes I’m a Beast as the 1-2 favorite under optional-claiming and starter-allowance conditions here.
Among those seeking to upset Concrete Glory are a trio of lightly raced but promising 3-year-olds – Saybrook, Icelander, and Boomcchero.
Saybrook has been third in each of his last two starts after finishing fourth in the Carry Back Stakes in July. Both Icelander and Boomcchero will be trying dirt for the first time after having considerable success and turning in some well-graded efforts, from a Beyer Speed Figure standpoint, on the Tapeta surface.
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