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US racing tips: Tom Collins naps a deep closer in cracking contest at Gulfstream
Dillon Rocks
6.02 Gulfstream Park
1pt win
Sole Volante
9.13 Gulfstream Park
3pts win
Although the feature contest on Gulfstream's Wednesday card does not have the official status of a stakes affair, the $55,000 allowance optional claimer (9.13) on the main track has drawn a field that would be best seen in a race of that nature.
Not only do you have the Grade 2 Fountain Of Youth Stakes winner Ete Indien in the field, but Listed Hutcheson Stakes scorer With Verve and Grade 1 Florida Derby runner-up Shivaree are also dropping in class to contest the mile event.
That is without mentioning my fancy and stablemate of Ete Indien, Sole Volante, who was last seen finishing second in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby in March. It is a truly fantastic line-up.
The morning line suggests that Ete Indien will be the market leader with an early show of 6-5, and it's not hard to make a case for the three-time winner. He has the most speed in this field and could get an uncontested lead out in front from the perfect draw in gate one. First-time blinkers should help him concentrate in the stretch run.
However, his price is pretty short given the form of the Fountain Of Youth has not worked out very well and he did not hit the right notes in the Florida Derby last time out.
Ete Indien is clearly an extremely talented three-year-old colt, but he tends to hang in the straight and I'm convinced that his price represents very little value. He may win, but I'd rather side with Patrick Biancone's other runner.
Sole Volante is a deep closer so needs his stablemate to go some kind of gallop out in front, but he's a better horse than Ete Indien and may be able to overcome the deficit. If this was a match race I would take him to win nine times out of ten.
A son of Japanese sire Karakontie, Sole Volante recorded a big speed figure when coming from last to first to land his maiden special weight contest in October and followed up in similar fashion in the Pupit Stakes on turf a month later.
He did not get the run of the race in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes in early January, but made amends in blistering fashion in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, bursting the bubble of the extremely highly touted Independence Hall.
Slow middle sections did not help him in the Tampa Bay Derby last time, but he ran on powerfully for second behind the well-ridden King Guillermo, who has since supplemented the form.
The selection's work at Palm Meadows training centre has been impressive and I like his 9-5 morning line price.
The other selection on the card is Dillon Rocks, who makes his first start for trainer Juan Avila in the $22,000 claimer (6.02).
This four-year-old colt began to look rather frustrating with a career record of just one win from 16 starts before being sent off favourite for a slightly lower-class contest at this track last month.
Ridden by Irad Ortiz that day, Dillon Rocks produced a huge career best and fairly destroyed his field. He cruised up into contention from just off the pace and barely had to be asked to put the race to bed, eventually crossing the line a length and a half clear of his nearest rival, with the third-placed horse another five lengths back.
Dillon Rocks was claimed by Avila, who has a decent record with horses making their debut for the barn, and a similar display from another good draw makes him hard to beat in this field. The only worry is the jockey switch from Ortiz to Edgard Zayas.
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