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Diamond Oops To Prep For Smile Sprint Defense In Sunday’s Opening Lead Stakes

Multiple graded-stakes winner Diamond Oops will face six rivals in Sunday's $60,000 Opening Lead at Gulfstream Park while prepping for a title defense in the Sept. 5 Smile Sprint (G3).

The Patrick Biancone-trained 5-year-old earned graded-stakes credentials with an off-the-pace three-quarters of a length triumph in last year's Smile, which the son of Lookin At Lucky used as a springboard for back-to-back Grade 1 second-place finishes in New York and Kentucky in his next two starts.

This year, Biancone has no plans to stray from South Florida in the foreseeable future.

“We decided to stay and run here and then the Smile,” said Biancone, who had entertained the idea of running Diamond Oops in the July 4 Met Mile (G1) at Belmont. “Last year, there was no Covid-19. Andie, my daughter, travels with the horses. I don't want to take the risk that she gets sick or something.”

Biancone, whose daughter serves as his assistant at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, is looking for Diamond Oops to improve off his second-place finish as the even-money favorite in the June 13 Coaltown Handicap, in which he conceded seven pounds to victorious Eye of a Jedi while making his first start in nearly five months.

“He had no excuse. The winner came on the outside and he didn't see him. It was a good race,” Biancone said.

Last year, after winning the Smile, Diamond Oops went on to finish second behind Imperial Hint in the six-furlong Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga and a game second in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland. He subsequently finished a troubled eighth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) before concluding the 2019 season with a victory in the Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream for Diamond 100 Racing Club LLC, D P Racing LLC, Patrick Biancone Racing LLC and Amy Dunne.

Although a one-turn specialist, Diamond Oops ran in the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park, acquitting himself nicely with a fourth-place finish in a field of 10.

Luca Panici, who rode Diamond Oops for the first time in the Coaltown Handicap, has the return mount in Sunday's six-furlong overnight stakes for 3-year-olds and up.

Monarch Stables Inc.'s Art G is Back is scheduled to be back in action Sunday after a seven-month layoff. The 4-year-old son of Exchange Rate had a busy and successful 3-year-old campaign, in which he won a pair of stakes and placed in fourth other stakes.

“He looks fabulous. The rest did him good,” trainer Ron Spatz said. “Hopefully, he runs well.”

Art G is Back ran 13 times at distances between seven furlongs and 1 1/16 miles, winning four of six starts over the Gulfstream Park main track, including two stakes wins at seven furlongs.

“He's never run six furlongs. I think it's a little bit short. This is a spot to jump off,” said Spatz, who also saddled Art G is Back for three stakes placings on turf.

Miguel Vasquez, who was aboard for Art G is Back's victory in the Thirsty Fish last year, will be reunited with the Florida-bred colt.

Jacks or Better Farm Inc.'s Garter and Tie will seek his first victory in six starts since capturing the Ocala Stakes by 10 ½ lengths prior to finishing fifth behind Diamond Oops in last year's Smile. The 4-year-old homebred son of Brooks 'n Down has captured three stakes over the Gulfstream track, including the $200,000 Florida Sire Stakes Affirmed in 2018.

Emisael Jaramillo has the call on the Ralph Nicks-trained half-brother to Shivaree, who finished second in the March 28 Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

Imaginary Stables and Glenn K. Ellis' Royal Squeeze, who finished fourth in last year's Smile, will seek his 11th career win over the Gulfstream track Sunday. The Elizabeth Dobles-trained 8-year-old gelding has won four stakes at Gulfstream and is coming off a May 31 optional claiming allowance victory.

Victor Lebron has the return call aboard the won of Wildcat Heir.

Mi Tres Por Ciento, a multiple-stakes winner in Chile who won his U.S. debut at Gulfstream three starts back, is scheduled to make his first start for owners Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher and trainer Michael Maker after being claimed for $62,500 out of his most recent start.

Edgard Zayas has the call aboard in the 5-year-old gelding.

My Purple Haze Stables' Cool Arrow and Linda Riznick's Running for Riz round out the field.

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Friday’s Stronach 5 Offers Four Of Five Races On The Turf

The Stronach 5 returns Friday with four of five races scheduled on the turf along with an industry-low 12-percent takeout and $100,000 guaranteed pool.

The action begins at 3:21 with a field of 10 maidens going 1 1/16 mile on the Fort Marcy Turf Course. Laurel's eighth race, the fourth leg of the Stronach 5, will be a restricted allowance race with a field of 10 Maryland-breds going 5 ½ furlongs on the Kelso Turf Course. Both races from Gulfstream Park, the eighth and 10th, are scheduled over the grass.

Friday's races and sequence

· Leg One – Laurel Park 6th Race: (10 entries, 1 1/16 mile turf) 3:21 ET, 12:21 PT

· Leg Two –Gulfstream Park 8th Race: (10 entries, 1 mile turf) 3:40 ET, 12:40 PT

· Leg Three –Laurel Park 7th Race: (12 entries, 6 furlongs) 3:59 ET, 12:59 PT

· Leg Four –Laurel Park 8th Race: (10 entries, 5 ½ furlongs turf) 4:33 ET, 1:33 PT

· Leg Five –Gulfstream Park 10th race: (12 entries, 5 furlongs turf) 4:48 ET, 1:48 PT

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The Stronach 5 In the Money podcast, hosted by Jonathan Kinchen and Peter Thomas Fornatale, will be posted by 2 p.m. Thursday at InTheMoneyPodcast.com and will be available on iTunes and other major podcast distributors

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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Tropical Storm Causes Gulfstream To Postpone Rainbow 6 Mandatory Payout To Aug. 9

Gulfstream Park announced Thursday it will postpone the mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 to Sunday, Aug. 9 due to the uncertainty over the forecast and severity of Tropical Storm Isaias.

The popular 20-cent wager had been scheduled for a mandatory payout Sunday.

Gulfstream's weekend races will include Saturday's FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes with the $100,000 Dr. Fager and $100,000 Desert Vixen. Two of Gulfstream's races Friday will be featured in the Stronach 5.

First race post time Friday, Saturday and Sunday is noon.

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Trainer Ralph Nicks Doubles Up In For Florida Sires Stakes Dr. Fager

Trainer Ralph Nicks has become a major Florida Sire Stakes player in recent years, saddling the winners of six races since 2016 in the tradition-rich series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida.

Nicks, who has been based year-round in Florida since Gulfstream Park instituted a Spring/Summer Meet in 2013, will seek to continue his Florida Sire Stakes success in the $100,000 Dr. Fager, which will co-headline Saturday's Florida Sire Stakes program with the $100,000 Desert Vixen for fillies. Both stakes will be contested at six furlongs.

Nicks' two entries in the Dr. Fager – Stonehedge LLC's Breeze On By and Jacks or Better Farm's Little Demon – aren't likely to be regarded lightly in the first leg of the series. Not only will they be saddled by a trainer who has demonstrated a deft hand with juveniles, but they will also represent the two most successful owners in the history of the series that was inaugurated in 1982.

Gil Campbell and his Stonehedge Farm have amassed 12 Florida Sire Stakes victories, including a series sweep by Scandalous Act (2013). Fred Brei's Jacks or Better Farm has won a record 19 races in the lucrative series, including series sweeps by half-brothers Jackson Bend (2009) and Fort Loudon (2011), as well as Awesome Feather (2010), who went on to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and an Eclipse Award.

Nicks has already visited the Florida Sire Stakes winner's circle with Stonehedge LLC's Lucky Charm (2019 Affirmed) and Jacks or Better Farm's Garter and Tie (2018 Affirmed) among his six FSS successes.

“They both have good programs and they're both great to work for,” Nicks said. “We're on the same page.”

Stonehedge LLC's Breeze On By made a rather auspicious debut while capturing a July 12 maiden special weight race at Gulfstream by six lengths. The homebred son of Cajun Breeze ran the six-furlong distance in 1:11.82.

“It was a very impressive race. I'm not crazy about the three weeks wheel-back,” said Nicks, who would have had as many as three Dr. Fager entrants had Stonehedge LLC's sharp debut winner Big Daddy Dave not come down with a fever. “But with the one sick, and the one doing well, you better lead him over there.”

Jacks or Better Farm's Little Demon will enter Florida Sire Stakes action as a maiden but showed promise while finishing second in his June 20 debut, in which he chased loose-on-the-lead Papetu and finished 2 ¾ lengths clear of the third-place finisher. Papetu went on to capture the first allowance for 2-year-olds this year at Gulfstream and is being pointed to the Aug. 7 Saratoga Special (G2).

“He came out of a good race. He ran well and is training well,” said Nicks, who saddled Raroma Stable's Phantom Ro for a victory in the 2017 Dr. Fager. “Hopefully, he'll move forward.”

Before going on his own, Nicks was involved in the training of two-time Horse of the Year Cigar and many other veteran stakes stars as an assistant to Hall of Fame Bill Mott, but he has rapidly built a reputation for developing promising juveniles.

“It's always fun to see them come up and see them mature and develop. We got some earlier this year than in the past, but it's funny how some of them are just coming around and doing well,” Nicks said. “Two-year-olds – everybody shoots for them. If you don't have 2-year-olds, you don't have a future.”

Emisael Jaramillo has the return mount aboard Breeze On By, while Samy Camacho is scheduled to ride Little Demon for the first time Saturday.

Seven-time Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher, who has captured 16 Championship Meet titles at Gulfstream, appears to have a solid shot at winning his first Florida Sire Stakes while basing a stable division at Gulfstream during his first Sprint/Summer Meet for the first time.

J A G Racing and Jettany Thoroughbred Corp.'s Son of a Beast, a gutsy debut winner at Gulfstream, is scheduled to return for Pletcher in the Dr. Fager. The son of The Big Beast set a pressured pace throughout a five-furlong maiden special weight race June 24 and continued on gamely to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

“I thought he was impressive in his debut. I'm looking forward to running him,” said Pletcher, who will also be represented by debut winner Tamiami in the Desert Vixen. “He's always trained well. We expected him to come out running first time, so we sort of had this race in mind for a while.”

Edgard Zayas has the return call on Son of a Beast.

Arindel's Gatsby, an impressive debut winner April 17, will be looking to rebound from an off-the-board finish in the June 27 Bashford Manor (G3) at Churchill Downs. The homebred son of Brethren pulled off an upset victory over heavily favored Golden Pal in his debut at 4 ½ furlongs, chasing the Wesley Ward-trained odds-on favorite into the stretch before edging clear by three-quarters of a length. Golden Pal went on to finish second in the Norfolk (G2) at Royal Ascot.

Hector Berrios is slated to ride the Juan Alvarado-trained Gatsby for the first time Saturday.

Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. will seek his 13th Florida Sire Stakes success with Famous Gent, a son of First Dude owned and bred by his wife, Laurie, and Trilogy Stable.

Famous Gent rallied from off the pace to graduate in his second start June 5 while running five furlongs in 58.87 seconds. He lost all chance at the start of a subsequent allowance after encountering heavy bumping but closed to finish third behind highly regarded Papetu.

Cristian Torres has the return mount.

Kenneth Fishbein's Boca Boy enters the Dr. Fager off an impressive 7 ½-length win in his July 17 debut at Gulfstream. The son of Prospective led throughout the 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight race under Angel Arroyo, who has the return call on the Cheryl Winebaugh trainee.

Edward Schuster's Valiant Thor, a homebred son of Two Step Salsa, is slated to make his first start at Gulfstream Saturday after scoring a front-running 8 ½-length victory in his July 1 debut at Tampa Bay Downs. Ronnie Allen Jr. is named to ride by Dennis Ward-trained juvenile.

Trainer Michael Maker will be represented by two juveniles in the Dr. Fager – Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher's Casalsa, a son of Two Step Salsa who was claimed for $50,000 out of a front-running victory June 27 in his second start, and Three Diamonds Farm's Lost Lover, a son of Gone Astray who is slated to make his debut Saturday.

Magic Stables LLC's Paladio and Oakleaf Farm's Mr. Tingles, who both graduated in the claiming ranks, and All Together Stable's Social Equality, an unraced maiden, round out the field.

The Dr. Fager the Desert Vixen will be followed by the $200,000 Affirmed and the $200,000 Susan's Girl for fillies, both slated for seven furlongs Aug. 29, and the $400,000 In Reality and the $400,000 My Dear Girl for fillies, both to be run around two turns at 1 1/16 miles Sept. 26.

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