Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship Stakes

Dave Bond

Las Vegas, NV -- The 36th running of the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship is on the card this Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. $150,000 is on the line for horses Four-Years Old and Upwards on Gulfstream's main dirt tack. The Sprint Championship is the day's feature event and is raced over seven furlongs. A strong field of eight will run in race 10 with a post time of 4:45 PM ET.

Here is a list of the entries and the credentials that brought them to the Main Event on Gulfstream's Saturday schedule.

The Contenders:

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Force Freeze - Force Freeze races for the first time in 2012 on Saturday and surprisingly will be looking for the first graded stakes win of his career. The Peter Walder-trained gelding had some success in winning three times in Dubai before racing to an impressive win at the Teddy Drone Stakes at Monmouth in July. He followed that up with a solid second place finish at the Breeders' Cup Sprint in November at Churchill Downs to eventual Eclipse Award winner Amazombie, along with a second at the Grade 1 Vosburgh Invitational Stakes at Belmont in October. Saturday could be Force Freeze's time to shine.

Capt. Candyman Can - won three graded stakes races in 2009 including the Grade 1 King's Bishop at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream. Most recently, Capt. Candyman Can finished fourth in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector Stakes at Gulfstream on New Year's Eve.

Simba's Story - Todd Pletcher trained Simba's Story makes a graded stakes debut on Saturday having come off a win at an Allowance at Gulfstream on January 22nd.

The Others:

Troilus - Troilus is an interesting prospect heading into the Sprint Championship. Having won three straight races, Troilus has had success at Gulfstream in winning Allowance Optional Claiming races here on January 1st and back in August.

Decisive Moment - most recently finished fifth at the Grade 3 Hal's Hope Stakes at Gulfstream on January 14th but before that won the Delta Mile Stakes in November.

Amanecer de Oro - most recently posted an impressive victory at the Louisiana Champions Day Stakes at Fair Grounds on December 10th. Amanecer de Oro has five wins in 15 career starts.

Bold Warrior - Bold Warrior finished second last time out in the Chief Tamanaco Stakes at Belmont after an Allowance Optional Claiming victory on the same track in September.

Dixie Slam - definitely the long shot in this race. In 29 career starts Dixie Slam has only three victories. The last two starts have generated second place finishes in a pair of Starter Allowance races at Gulfstream.

The Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship is Race 10 on Gulstream's Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:45 PM ET.

Post

Horse

Jockey

Trainer

1

Bold Warrior

J. Lezcano

H. Jerkens

2

Capt. Candyman Can

J. Castellano

I. Wilkes

3

Decisive Moment

S. Madrid

J. Arias

4

Amanecer de Oro

J. Castanon

S. Duke

5

Dixie Slam

D. Centeno

A. Cioffi

6

Troilus

E. Trujillo

M. Wolfson

7

Simba's Story

J. Velazquez

T. Pletcher

8

Force Freeze

P. Lopez

P. Walder