Grade 2 winners Largent, unraced since a runner-up finish in the 2021 Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1), and stablemate Mutasaabeq, who captured the 2021 Mucho Macho Man, head a list of 14 horses nominated to the $100,000 Tropical Turf (G3) for 4-year-olds and up going one mile Jan. 8 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
Twin Creeks Racing Stables and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Largent owns four wins and two seconds in six career tries over the Gulfstream turf, including a victory in the 2020 Fort Lauderdale (G2). The multiple stakes winner was beaten a neck in last winter's Pegasus Turf by Colonel Liam, also trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, and shows six works at Palm Beach Downs since late November.
Shadwell Stable's Mutasaabeq, another Pletcher trainee, went to the sidelines after capturing the one-mile Mucho Macho Man on dirt last January at Gulfstream. The Into Mischief colt has raced twice previously on the grass, including a victory in the October 2020 Bourbon (G2) going 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland.
Mutasaabeq worked five furlongs in 1:00.23 Sunday at Palm Beach Downs, the fastest of four horses, in his eighth timed breeze since mid-November.
Another horse nominated off a long layoff is Paradise Farms Corp.'s Bemma's Boy, a 6-year-old Into Mischief gelding that has not raced since his neck victory over Mike Maker-trained stablemate Zulu Alpha, winner of the 2020 Pegasus Turf, in the March 2020 Pan American (G2) at Gulfstream. Bemma's Boy returned to the work tab last September at Ellis Park and has breezed steadily since, his last five coming at Gulfstream.
Maker also nominated Three Diamonds Farm's Field Pass, last out winner of the 1 1/16-mile Seabiscuit Handicap (G2) Nov. 27 at Del Mar. The 4-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid also has four Grade 3 victories to his credit including the Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup at historic Pimlico Race Course last June, and won the 2020 Dania Beach in his only previous try over the Gulfstream turf.
Also prominent among nominees are 2019 Virginia Derby (G3) winner English Bee, 2020 Fred Hooper (G3) winner Phat Man, and stakes winners Belgrano, Flying Scotsman and Value Proposition.
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