Win With Faith would in all likelihood be a stakes winner at this juncture of his career if not having the misfortune of running afoul of his nemesis Tank on a couple of occasions earlier this spring. But Tank will not be among the competition Friday when Win With Faith goes postward the likely favorite against five other 3-year-olds under optional-claiming and allowance conditions at Gulfstream Park.
The headliner will be decided at one mile on the turf.
Win With Faith was narrowly defeated by Tank when second in both the English Channel Stakes on May 3 at Gulfstream Park and the Sophomore Stakes five weeks earlier at Tampa Bay Downs. The Sophomore has turned into a super key race and produced four next-out winners and two second-place finishers from the eight horses who have come back to run.
Win With Faith earned what was a career-best 76 Beyer Speed Figure for his effort in the Sophomore and improved on that performance by five points when rallying from near the rear of the field to miss by a half-length in the English Channel. Unfortunately, the son of Win Win Win could not duplicate either of those races when finishing a disappointing third as a 4-5 favorite when dropping back into mid-level optional-claiming and starter-allowance competition in his most recent try earlier this month.
Those looking to side against the favorite will point out that Win With Faith has shown a tendency to hang a bit during the latter stages of his most recent races while also noting a running style that will make him pace dependent once again in this spot.
Koctel War also ran well in the Sophomore, leading the way into the stretch before finishing a tiring fourth, a little more than three lengths behind Win With Faith. Koctel War, who has been sidelined ever since, was absent nearly a month from the work tab after posting a bullet five-eighths in 58.20 seconds over the Tapeta course May 2. He has turned in a pair of five-furlong breezes for trainer Antonio Sano in preparation for his return.
Trainer Patrick Biancone may get back from Royal Ascot, where he saddled Lennilu to finish third in the Group 2 Queen Mary on Wednesday, in time to give jockey Jonathan Ocasio a leg up aboard Layabout. An impressive maiden winner in his last start, Layabout joined Biancone’s barn earlier in the spring and registered a career-top 70 Beyer rallying to a 1 1/2-length decision trying the Tapeta track as well as two turns for the first time May 9.
Layabout is one of three last-out maiden winners in the field along with Secret Bagent Man and Tony B, who takes a big class hike after graduating against a modest group of bottom-level maiden claimers at Tampa in his only previous start.
Friday’s supporting feature is restricted to Florida-breds. The seven-furlong main-track dash will be decided under optional-claiming and first-level allowance conditions and has lured a well-matched field of eight potential starters.
The group is headed by the lightly raced Miami Frank, who figures to be favored having been transferred to leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.’s barn following his last start, and the 6-year-old Avant Glory, who defeated open company under similar conditions this winter during the Championship meeting.
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