Solid Group to Battle in Tropical Turf at Gulfstream Park

Nine will line up in Saturday’s $100,000 Tropical Turf (G3) at Gulfstream Park. (Photo credit: Shutterstock).

The purse is just $100,00 but a solid group of nine will go in Saturday’s Tropical Turf (G3) at Gulfstream Park including graded stakes winners Admission Office, Casa Creed and Analyze It.

The Chad Brown trained Analyze It is the 2-1 morning line favorite. Sidelined for nearly two years after a third in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), he looks to bounce back after a disappointing effort as the beaten favorite in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1).

Admission Office (7-2) will be making his first start since winning the Louisville (G3) at Churchill Downs last June. The Brian Lynch trainee will have Julian Leparoux in the irons.

‘He’s coming back at a distance that isn’t really ideal for him, but it’s a good starting point,” Lynch said. “The good thing about this race is there’s plenty of pace, which ideally suits Gulfstream. But if they get going too fast up front, it could set up for someone to come off the pace.”

The defending champ of the race is Tusk, who this year is a 15-1 outsider. The Saffie Joseph trainee was eighth in the Claiming Crown Emerald on Dec. 5 in his first start since winning this race last year.

“He was coming off a long layoff. He got an easy lead and stopped but he got tired,” Joseph said. “He’s been training forwardly since that race. He won this race last year, so we’re going to give him a chance to win it again.”

Casa Creed (8-1) will be making his first start since a 12^th place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) last November. The Bill Mott trainee was beaten 2 ½ lengths when fourth in the Shadwell Turf Mile two back.

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

Gulfstream Park

Gulfstream Park Race 10 The Tropical Turf (G3) 4:49 ET

2 Casa Creed 8-1

6 Analyze It 2-1

3 Ride a Comet 5-1

1 Admission Office 7-2

Casa Creed

The Bill Mott trainee makes his first start since tiring to finish 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) where he was in over his head. He went 0 for 5 last year but earned competitive numbers two back in a fourth in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) and three back in a third in the Fourstardave ‘Cap (G1) at Saratoga. He has not won since taking the Hall of Fame (G2) in August of 2019 at the Spa. He has worked sharply since his last outing and if he runs back to his efforts two and three back, he fits in this spot and the 8-1 morning line looks more than fair. He owns solid early and mid pace numbers and should be close to the lead here and we have seen at this meeting it is better to be forwardly placed over this turf course.

Analyze It

The six-year-old returned off nearly a two-year layoff last September by winning the Red Bank (G3) at Monmouth Park and matching his career best speed figure which was earned in his game third in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). He was sent off as the favorite in his last outing in the Shadwell Turf Mile but weakened to finish eighth after stalking the early pace. He returns off a three month break here for the Brown barn that is 29% winners with runners coming back off a 61-180-day layoff. This guy rarely runs a bad one and won his first three starts before losing photos in his next three outings including a neck loss in the 2018 Secretariat (G1). Brown should have him ready for this spot.

Ride a Comet

This guy is back on turf here after coming back off a two-year layoff with back to back wins sprinting on Tapeta at Woodbine. The Casse trainee has won four of his five career starts on turf, the last coming in a victory in the Del Mar Derby (G2) in 2018. Since shipping to Florida he has been working quickly in the mornings at Palm Meadows with a pair of bullet works on turf. He won both of his starts at a mile on grass and looks primed for a top effort third off the bench here. The Casse barn is 10% winners moving runners from synth to turf.