Hal’s Hope

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Gulfstream Park’s opening-day feature, the $100,000 Hal’s Hope H. (G3),
attracted QUALITY ROAD (Elusive Quality), who will look to kick off his
four-year-old campaign in a winning way following the nearly-disastrous episode
before the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) that forced him to be scratched.

Quality Road posted two big impressive wins at Gulfstream last season,
recording a new track record in the Florida Derby (G1) and a 4 1/4-length
decision in the Fountain of Youth (G2). The latter netted him a 110 BRIS
Speed rating at Sunday’s one-turn, one-mile distance. The bay colt registered a
109 Speed number for his last one-turn effort, a record-setting victory in the
Amsterdam S. (G2) at Saratoga. He should get a fast track after coming up short
in his last two starts over sloppy ovals, and the Virginia-bred has reportedly
schooled perfectly at the starting gate in the weeks since the Breeders’ Cup.
The starting gate remains a concern, but we expect to see the Todd Pletcher
runner bounce back in style with regular rider John Velazquez.

YOU AND I FOREVER (A.P. Indy) is difficult to recommend off his last three
efforts at two turns, but we like the cutback in distance and give him a chance
to run run well here for Marty Wolfson. An excellent second in the one-mile
Jerome H. (G2) at Belmont in 2008, he earned a triple-digit BRIS Speed rating
last time he raced around one-turn on a fast track, annexing a seven-furlong
allowance/optional claiming event at Calder during the summer. The five-year-old
shows a bullet half-furlong work in preparation and looms as an upset candidate
if Quality Road falters.

HARLEM ROCKER (Macho Uno) figures to be the second choice in the wagering
behind his stablemate, and the Pletcher pupil is two-for-two at Gulfstream,
winning his first two career starts over the track in 2008. He raced only once
since being disqualified from his first-place finish in the 2008 Cigar Mile
(G1), finishing second in a November 14 allowance/optional claiming event at
Churchill, and he’s eligible to improve off that tightener (97 Speed rating).
He’ll be running late under Eibar Coa.

HELSINKI (Distorted Humor) looks like a potential exotics player for Richard
Dutrow. The Grade 1-placed six-year-old plugged away without success at the
allowance/optional claiming level in 2008-09 until being transferred to
his present stable before his last start, a sharp 1 1/4-length score going a
one-turn mile at Aqueduct, and earned an impressive 111 BRIS Late Pace and a
respectable 97 Speed rating. He appears to headed in the right direction and
will pick up the services of Julien Leparoux, so consider for the top three.

CONGRESSIONAL PAGE (Orientate) won his first five starts for Michael
Trombetta over lesser rivals at Delaware Park, Monmouth Park and Hoosier Park,
but he faltered when stepping up to face stakes rivals at Mountaineer last time.
We wouldn’t be surprised to see the five-year-old gelding develop into a solid
stakes performer and can’t dismiss his exotics chances completely, but he looks
potentially out of his element in this spot. LE GRAND CRU (Dynaformer) has run
well in his last two starts in New York for Allen Jerkens and owns a 4-1-3-0
mark at Gulfstream, but the five-year-old will be tested for class here.

SPIN MASTER (Distorted Humor) exits a narrow allowance win at Philadelphia
Park for Steve Klesaris and owns a decent mark at Gulfstream (3-1-1-0), but he’s
probably better at shorter distances. COLONIAL CAUSEWAY (Giant’s Causeway) and
SUYETA (Indian Charlie) don’t look fast enough to make an impact.