Lord Miles trains ahead of the 2023 renewal of the Kentucky Derby (Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.— Lord Miles raised expectations during his 3-year-old season when he captured last year’s Wood Memorial (G2). Thus far, Vegso Racing Stable’s homebred colt has been unable to run back to his courageous 59-1 upset score on the Road to the Triple Crown.
The 4-year-old son of Curlin will seek a return to form in Saturday’s $75,000 Wildcat Red at Gulfstream Park. The mile overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up will co-headline Saturday’s 13-race program with the $95,000 Powder Break, a mile stakes for fillies and mares on Tapeta.
The Wildcat Red in Race 12 and Powder Break in Race 13 will co-headline the six-race sequence of Saturday’s mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool.
Lord Miles will be making his second start back from an eight-month layoff while carrying highweight of 120 pounds, along with Shaq Diesel and Black Belt, in a field of eight. The Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee was never a factor while finishing seventh in a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance won by Shaq Diesel April 20.
“It was seven-eighths. It was a bit shorter than he wants, but I thought he would sit back and make a much bigger closing kick than he did. Definitely, we expected a bit more,” Joseph said. “I didn’t necessarily think he would win, but we expected more.”
Lord Miles won a first asking at Gulfstream in November 2022 before finishing a close-up third in the mile Mucho Macho Man, in which he finished a neck behind Dreaming of Kona, who was placed first upon the disqualification of Legacy Isle. Following a sixth-place finish in the Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream and a fifth in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2), he overcame a bumping start and a wide trip to get up to win by a nose in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.
Lord Miles was never a factor in the Ohio Derby (G3) at Thistledown and West Virigina Derby (G3) at Mountaineer Park before finishing his 2023 campaign with a late-surging second in the Robert Hilton Memorial at Charles Town in August. He missed the rest of the season after undergoing a colic procedure.
Joseph is also scheduled to send out Gentry Farms’ Positive Review, a steady son of Unified who has finished first or second in six of 13 starts at Gulfstream.
“He’s training well. His last work was very good,” Joseph said. “He’s going a one-turn mile that I think is his best distance. I think he will go forward.”
Drayden Van Dyke, who rode five winners for Joseph in his first weekend of competition at Gulfstream, has the mount on Lord Miles. Leading rider Edgard Zayas has the call on Positive Review.
Chester Bishop and partners’ Shaq Diesel rallied from far back to win by 1 ½-lengths in the April 20 optional claiming allowance in which Lord Miles finished seventh. The David Fawkes-trained 4-year-old son of Khozan came back to finish an even third following a troubled start in the May 25 Big Drama Handicap. Miguel Vasquez has the return call on Shaq Diesel.
EKB Stables LLC and P and L Thoroughbreds LLC’s Black Belt, who was an impressive optional claiming allowance winner during the Championship Meet, will return from a three-month freshening off a subpar effort in the New Orleans Handicap (G2) at Fair Grounds. Edwin Gonzalez has the call on the son of Not This Time.
Love Me Not, Coppermaster, Ticking and Sir Saffer round out the Wildcat Red field.
Joseph, who has saddled a Royal Palm Meet-leading 39 winners thru last Sunday, is represented by three mares in a field of 11 fillies and mares assembled for the Powder Break, Edward Selzer and Beverly Anderson’s Towser and Miller Racing LLC’s Angel Nadeshiko.
Towser returned from a five-month layoff to finish second in the May 28 Monroe at Gulfstream.
“That was a big comeback. That was her best Beyer [Speed Figure] – an 89,” Joseph said. “She’s probably a little better on turf, but she handles Tapeta.”
Angel Nadeshiko, who captured the Robert J. Frankel (G3) at Santa Anita in December, finished third in the Monroe, two lengths behind Towser.
“She’s never run on Tapeta. I actually think her style helps,” Joseph said. “She trains decent enough on the dirt and has run decent on dirt and she runs on the turf. To me, those type of horses seem to run well on Tapeta.”
Shining Stables LLC’s Batucada, who has finished off the board in two Tapeta starts, enters the Powder Break off an 8 ½-length romp in a main-track optional claiming allowance.
Cipriano Gil has the call on Towser, while Van Dyke is named on Angel Nadeshiko. Edgard Zayas has the return mount on Batucada.
Glen Hill Farm’s Wide West, a stakes winner last year at Gulfstream, enters the Powder Break off a third-place finish in a five-furlong overnight handicap. The Powder Break will be the Brittany Baumgardner-trained daughter of Frankel’s first start around two turns. Edwin Gonzalez has the call.
Moshe Mark’s No Valla steps into stakes company off a pair of sharp victories in claiming company. The 6-year-old daughter of Mshawish was claimed for $25,000 out of a 4 ¾-length romp in an optional claiming allowance May 19. Miguel Vasquez has the mount on the Carlos David trainee.
Empress Ellie, Friendlypersuasion, Napa Candy, Jan’s Girl, Chick’s Shadow and Swoonatra round out the field.
