Diamond Oops Headlines Solid Field in Mr. Prospector

A field of 12 line up in Saturday’s $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream Park. (Photo credit: Gulfstream Park).

The $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream Park drew a competitive field of 12 led by Diamond Oops and two others that exit the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1).

Defending champ Diamond Oops (3-1) finished sixth in the Sprint in his last outing, which snapped a two race winning streak. The Patrick Biancone trainee won the Turf Sprint (G2) and Phoenix (G2) in his two prior starts.

“He came back good,” Biancone said of his Sprint effort. “He got a bad draw that day, but he came back good.”

Also exiting the Sprint are Firenze Fire (5-2) who ran third and Lasting Legacy (15-1) who was ninth.

Firenze Fire was scratched out of the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) after the track came up wet. He was beaten 3 ½ lengths in the Sprint by Whitmore

“Whitmore was able to get through. We were just behind him, but it closed up on us and we couldn’t get there. He ran a great race. He always does. He tries all the time,” Mr. Amore Stable’s Ron Lombardi said. “The slop is obviously difficult for him. That’s what led to the decision to skip the Cigar Mile and ship him to Florida.”

Breeders’ Cup Sprint Replay

The Greg Sacco trained Mind Control (15-1) also was scratched out of the Cigar Mile because of the off track. The colt won the 2019 H.A. Jerkens (G1) but has now lost five in a row, his last win coming in the Tom Fool Handicap (G3) back in March.

“It’s been a little bit of a hard luck year. He started out the year super and then Covid-19 hit. The Carter got pushed back and he hit the slop and he hates the slop. We ran him back in the Vanderbilt and he ran super. We were back on track and we hit the slop again,” Sacco said. “We brought him back to Monmouth to give him an easier race to give him a confidence booster. He got a rough trip that day and got checked back on the backstretch. The race at Keeneland, a horse gave way right in front of him and Johnny [Velazquez] had to snatch him up. We’ve been sort of a victim of circumstances this year.”

A winner of 7 of his 17 starts, Velazquez hops back on board this colt who draws the outside 12 post and is 15-1 on the morning line.

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Let’s head out to Gulfstream Park for Saturday’s featured race of the day:

Gulfstream Park

Gulfstream Park Race 10 The Mr. Prospector G3 (4:43 ET)

7 Diamond Oops 3-1

12 Mind Control 15-1

4 Haikal 6-1

9 Firenze Fire 5-2

Diamond Oops

This gelding is one of three in here that exits the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). The gelding stalked the early pace while toward the outside, came with a five wide bid and finished evenly in a sixth-place finish, beaten 4 ½ lengths. Only three have come out of the race to run back, with Manny Wah running second in the Thanksgiving Classic at Fair Grounds and Hog Creek Hustle beating Alw-3 optional claimers in his next start Our top pick won this race last year at 7-2 earning a career top speed fig and that has been his lone trip at seven furlongs in his career. He won the Phoenix (G2) two back and the Turf Sprint (G2) three back. The stretch back out to seven furlongs suits this guy and he has won five of his eight starts over the Gulfstream Park main track.

Mind Control

A wet track knocked this guy out of the Cigar Mile (G1), and he shipped to Florida. He was outrun last out at Keeneland going seven furlongs in the Lafayette and three back did not fire in an eighth-place finish in the Forego (G1) in the slop at the Spa. The colt has not yet regained the form he showed winning three in a row starting with the ’19 H.A. Jerkens (G1). After a layoff he came back to win the Toboggan (G3) and Tom Fool ‘Cap (G3). He is capable of much better than we have seen from this guy recently and the 15-1 morning line looks generous. Johnny V. sticks and looking for him to bounce back with a much better effort in this spot.

Haikal

This colt makes his first start since February where he was fifth in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2). He makes his first start here for the Pletcher barn that tis 28% winners (with a +ROI) with runners coming back off a +180-day layoff. Under the care of retired Kiaran McLaughlin he won three in a row including the Jimmy Winkfield at seven furlongs and the Gotham (G3) going a one turn mile. He has bene prepping at Palm Beach Downs for his return and looks as if he may be competitive here off the bench at a decent price.