Post position may have played a role in Peripoli’s fourth-place finish in a starter allowance/optional $25,000 claimer on Jan. 23 at Tampa Bay Downs. Drawn in post 2 in what was just his second start, Peripoli wound up dueling with Hard Talk for the lead and ultimately ended up fourth behind the late-running Charlie Mac Mac.
Wednesday, at Tampa, Peripoli will break from the outside post in a seven-horse field for trainer Timothy Hamm when he again meets Charlie Mac Mac and Hard Talk in the same condition going 6 1/2 furlongs.
When he made his debut Dec. 13 at Tampa, Peripoli broke from post 7 in an eight-horse field, stalked the early pace, took over at the quarter pole, and drew clear to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Hard Talk finished third in that race before coming back to win his maiden for $16,000 claiming on turf.
Hard Talk breaks from the rail on Wednesday and figures to be forward under Marco Meneses. He is likely to get pressure from the likes of I’m Mischievous and Teddy Bear.
Charlie Mac Mac did come from off the pace to win this condition in his first start off a four-month layoff. It was just the second win from 45 starters at the meet for trainer Tim Padilla.
Cademan, coming off a win for maiden $32,000 claiming for Gerald Bennett, is another who figures to be prominent early under Samy Camacho.