A Thread of Blue will carry a favorable 3-for-3 mark on the Gulfstream Park turf into Saturday’s $100,000 Tropical Turf (G3) over a mile.
Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, the speedy son of Hard Spun was one of the more accomplished sophomore turf performers last term, winning the Dania Beach and Palm Beach (G3) at Gulfstream, as well as the inaugural $1 million Saratoga Derby. A Thread of Blue also placed in the American Turf (G2) and Hill Prince (G2), the latter his most recent outing on Oct. 5 at Belmont.
“He’s been working right along and doing great, and Luis Saez is available so we’re happy to have him,” McLaughlin said. “The mile, I think he’s better a little bit further than a mile but it’s a mile and he loves it down here so it looks like a spot to get going.
“He does not have to be on the lead but he seems to be there more than not. Hopefully we draw well and there’s not a lot of speed in the race. We’ll be on or near the lead for sure.”
There are other speed elements in the field, including Gidu and Gemonteer. That might help the likes of Grade 2 veteran Maraud, making his second start off the claim by Joe Orseno and his first since running third in the Red Bank (G3) at Monmouth on Sept. 1.
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The co-feature is the $150,000 Marshua’s River (G3), a 1 1/16-mile grass test for fillies and mares. Andina Del Sur has won two of her last three and has the most back class in the field of seven, but is winless in five starts on the local lawn.
Munchkin Money, meanwhile has won twice on the Gulfstream turf, her only setback over it being a last-out third in the Dec. 14 My Charmer S. Chad Brown aggressively spots third-time starter Magic Star, sixth as the even-money favorite in an entry-level allowance at Belmont in October.
