US expert Tom Collins reckons unexposed three-year-old can make a winning return

Sugar Fix
7.45 Tampa Bay Downs
1pt win

No Word
9.25 Gulfstream Park
2pts win

Il Faraone
9.55 Gulfstream Park
2pts win

The competitive and enthralling racing stateside continues in Florida with 11 races at Gulfstream Park taking centre stage, while Tampa Bay Downs supports.

Gulfstream's card doesn't look the easiest to pick apart but I fancy two talented milers later on the card, starting with No Word in the $46,000 allowance optional claimer (9.25).

Owned by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, who have had a high level of success in ownership thanks to star performers Goldikova, Solow and Plumatic, No Word could prove to be another useful conveyance for the duo in the US.

A three-year-old son of Japanese sire Silent Name out of an A P Indy mare, No Word has plenty of stamina in his pedigree and he made a good debut for trainer Todd Pletcher when winning a maiden special weight contest at Saratoga last August.

No Word travelled well in behind the pace before exhibiting a good turn of foot to overhaul long-time leader Gear Jockey, who has subsequently finished third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

No Word was consequently well punted to back up that success in the Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes the following month, but he broke slowly and was forced to thread his way through traffic, eventually closing from last to fifth at the wire.

The winner, Structor, is 3-3 in his career after winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on his next start, which gives the form a strong look.

No Word hasn't been seen since, so has to overcome a long layoff, but he clearly goes well fresh as proved by his debut score and his recent works at Palm Beach suggest he is ready to go close.

I tipped Love Nest to win at this track on Friday and he did so with consummate ease after being well punted, so the form of his previous second was given a big boost.

The horse that beat him was the fast-finishing Il Faraone, who runs in the following $18,000 starter optional claimer (9.55) for trainer Monica McGoey.

A deep closer, six-year-old Il Faraone absolutely flew from last to first to deny Love Nest back in January, and the time recorded was pretty good for the grade.

He was subsequently pitched into stakes company but was given a dreadful ride and never got in contact with the field, while he proved that he is a horse to keep onside with a good second behind the talented Blue Buff (4-7 in his career) last time.

Il Faraone surged again late that day to pick up the pieces and there is nothing of Blue Buff's standard in this race. His morning line price of 9-2 is far too big given he beat the likely favourite Yes I Can last time out.

I have a lot of time for two up-and-coming fillies – Sugar Fix and Queens Embrace – who run in the $19,000 starter optional claimer (7.45) over at Tampa Bay Downs, and preference is for the former at the likely odds.

A two-time-winning daughter of Treasure Beach, Sugar Fix has finally got the hang of the racing game and followed a decisive maiden claiming score at the fifth attempt with a great effort in behind Queens Embrace on her penultimate outing.

She had to give that unexposed rival 4lb that day but was still sent off favourite and looked all over the winner as she hit the front entering the straight.

Sugar Fix hung slightly under pressure when asked to pick up, which gave the strong-staying Queens Embrace an opening at the rail and she took advantage, the duo eventually pulling well clear of the third.

Rider Jesus Castanon probably went too soon on Sugar Fix that day, and she made amends last time when denying the promising Vaunt thanks to an electric turn of foot. The third that day has filled the runner-up berth since, while the fourth won at Tampa last week.

Sugar Fix bids to continue on her upward curve now stepped up in grade, and she gets a handy 8lb swing in the weights with Queens Embrace, which can see her reverse the form with that rival.

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