HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Although Hurricane Milton was expected to make landfall well north of Gulfstream Park, the effects of the massive storm are likely to be felt locally when racing resumes with a nine-race program here Friday.
Steady rains from the outer bands of the storm are forecast to fall over the local area Wednesday and into Thursday and figure to force management to curtail the use of an already saturated turf course on Friday. That decision would impact the afternoon’s featured race, a $61,000 allowance/optional-claiming race for 2-year-olds that was carded at one mile on the grass and which would, if necessary, be decided instead at a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta. A second allowance event on the program, for Florida-breds, is carded at a mile on the main track.
A field of eight juveniles was drawn for the headliner, led by trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.’s Forged Steel, who returns locally after finishing 12th and last as the 8-5 favorite in the Juvenile Mile on turf last month at Kentucky Downs. Forged Steel raced forwardly for five furlongs before plunging through the field to finish nearly 20 lengths behind the winner, Tiztastic.
Forged Steel had the misfortune of catching the undefeated, untested, and now stakes-winning Rated by Merit when debuting over the main track here July 13, finishing a distant second while easily best of the others going six furlongs. Joseph opted to switch the son of Vekoma to turf and stretch him out around two turns for his next start. Forged Steel responded with an impressive performance, winning by 8 1/2 lengths while earning a 75 Beyer Speed Figure. The performance was flattered when runner-up Super Sailor earned his diploma in easy fashion here last weekend.
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The big question for Forged Steel, who figures to be an overwhelming favorite once again, is how he will handle a synthetic track if the race is taken off the turf.
Legal Maneuver also tries softer allowance competition after finishing far back in the one-mile Aventura Stakes over the main track here just three weeks earlier. Unlike Forged Steel, however, Legal Maneuver is a proven commodity on the Tapeta, having won his maiden over the surface in his career debut May 24. Legal Maneuver comes into the race off a bullet half-mile drill last weekend at Palm Meadows and will be equipped with blinkers for the first time Friday.
Rocka Storm also would figure to benefit from a change in surface exiting a game, wire-to-wire three-quarter-length maiden win going a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta on Sept. 6. He set a rapid pace before turning back a determined bid from 1-2 favorite Hellicity while equipped with blinkers for the first time.
Beastly Speed, a beaten favorite following a race-long pace duel in his most recent start, will likely be the public’s choice once again when taking on similar company in Friday’s eighth race. Beastly Speed came into his last race sporting a two-race winning streak that included a one-sided 10-length victory, also at a mile, against mid-level conditioned claiming competition for which he earned a career-best 85 Beyer.
Morgan Point, who ran down Beastly Speed to finish second best when the pair met four weeks earlier, looms the one to beat once again in his current good form for trainer Carlos Perez.
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