Trainer Jose D’Angelo has Saturday’s featured 10th race at Gulfstream Park covered from front to back with Quereme Pass and King d’Oro.
“One to try to go wire to wire and one to close,” he quipped.
The route on Tapeta is a first-level allowance over a mile and 70 yards. A field of eight older runners is set to start, including Navy Cross, who has won three of his last four starts on the synthetic track at Gulfstream.
King d’Oro is moving back to Tapeta after closing for third in a turf route May 24. The speed never came back that day.
“The grass track was too fast and didn’t help him because he’s a horse that needs some pace and closes,” D’Angelo said. “We decided to run him, and he ran okay, but definitely he’s a much better horse on Tapeta. I know it’s not an easy race, but he’s ready.”
Yolber Torres, a seven-pound apprentice, has the mount on King d’Oro for the first time Saturday. The pair will start from post 8.
“He worked him one time,” D’Angelo said. “He knows him.”
The race King d’Oro exits has become a key one, with winner Beach Gold returning in his next start to take a second-level allowance at Gulfstream with a Beyer Speed Figure of 92. In addition, runner-up Dear Dad came back to take a local first-level allowance with a Beyer of 86.
King d’Oro is a son of Medaglia d’Oro from the female family of Tiznow. Quereme Pass was bred in Argentina and is making his fourth stateside start. He set the pace and finished third last out in a route that carried a claiming price of $35,000.
“He’s run good since we moved him to the turf,” D’Angelo said. “So, the question mark with him is the Tapeta surface. If he likes it, I think he’s going to run good. He’s a fast horse. If he gets good splits, it’s going to be good for him.”
Miguel Vasquez has the mount from post 7.
Navy Cross will break from the rail off a three-length victory at this distance. He defeated $12,500 starter-allowance rivals, and the Beyer of 82 that he earned is the best last-race synthetic-track number in the field Saturday.
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