Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship Stakes 2014 Contenders & Odds

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship Stakes comes our way this Saturday, February 8 from where else? Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida. Horses four years old and upward will be featured as they dash seven furlongs on Gulfstream's dirt track chasing the winner's share of the $100,000 purse.

A field of 11 will line up in the Gulfstream Park Sprint - race 11 on Gulfstream's Saturday schedule. Post time is 5:31 PM. Here is a brief look into the past performances of all 11 combatants for this Grade 3 stakes.

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2014 Sprint Championship Stakes Race Favorite Entries

Jackson Bend - was impressive in 2011 and the early part of 2012 during a streak of four wins, a second and three third place finishes in eight starts including wins in the 2011 Grade 1 Forego, the 2012 Hal's Hope and the Grade 1 Carter Handicap. He also had a third in the 2011 Breeders' Cup Sprint during that time. He fell off a bit toward the end of 2012 before injury sent Jackson Bend to the sideline for nine months. He returned June 8 to a fifth in the minor Ponche Handicap at Calder and followed that with an OK third in the Grade 2 Smile Sprint Handicap also at Calder. Jackson Bend finished a good second in the Grade 1 Forego in April but failed to place in his next two starts. He enters off a pair of seconds - behind Lea in the Grade 3 Hal's Hope Stakes here last time out January 12 and another second with an eye-opening 102 Beyer Speed Figure in the minor Sunshine State Stakes here December 8. He hasn't won since the 2012 Carter Handicap in April 2012 but looks to slowly be rounding into form lately. He cuts back in distance with John Velazquez aboard Saturday from gate 2.

Fort Loudon - defending champion in this race had nine starts in 2013 and finally placed in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector Stakes on this track December 28 after a fourth in the minor Kenny Noe Jr. Handicap at Calder December 14, a fifth in the minor Sunshine State Stakes here December 8, an eighth in the Grade 2 Smile Sprint Handicap in July and a sixth in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap in May. Also last year he had an OK third in the Gulfstream Park Handicap behind Swagger Jack and the win in the Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship Stakes February 9. Last time out was an ugly eighth in the Florida Sunshine Millions Sprint Stakes January 19. Fort Loudon has 29 career starts with eight wins, four seconds and four third place finishes but had just one win last year which came in this race. Edgard Zayas gets the call from post 8.

Sprint Championship Stakes 2014 | Remaining Contenders

Singanothersong - finished a good second on this track in the Grade 3 Swale Stakes here in March and has placed in all four starts since. Last time out was a terrific win over Fort Loudon in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector Stakes here December 28 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score here November 17 and a second in a similar race October 20. He has placed in 12 of 14 career starts and enters the weekend in terrific form. He loves this track and this surface and will be looking to stretch his win streak to three here on Saturday.

Laugh Track - Mark Casse trained gelding has placed in nine of 11 career but is coming off a career worst performance - a troubled ninth after getting bumped in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct November 30. This after a great second in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, a second in the Grade 3 Ogden Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland October 4 and a nice win in the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes at Woodbine in June. He has four wins, four seconds and a third place finish and will be looking for a huge bounce back this weekend. Joel Rosario will be in the saddle Saturday.

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Brujo de Olleros - had four wins in five starts in his native Brazil before shipping to North America. In six starts on North American soil he has been good - a fourth in the minor Majestic Lights Stakes at Monmouth last July 29 and fourth in the Grade 2 Bowling Green here in September 2012 before a nine month layoff. He returned to action June 22 and finished second in the minor Donald LeVine Handicap and recorded a win in the minor Carl Hanford Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park August 19. Last time out was an impressive third in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile after a good second behind Graydar in the Grade 1 Kelso at Belmont Park September 28. He has five wins, three seconds and a third place finish in 11 career starts and has been very competitive in his last four starts overall.

Catron - will make just his third career start for trainer Todd Pletcher on Saturday but he has won both of his starts thus far - an Allowance Optional Claiming here by 4 1/2 lengths December 22 and a MSW at Belmont Park in June. He may not have a ton of experience but Catron definitely has a ton of ability.

Falling Sky - won three of his first four career starts including last year's Grade 3 Sam F. Davis but hasn't quite been the same since. He had a good third in last year's Tampa Bay Derby, a fourth in the Grade 1 Arkansas and a horrible nineteenth in the Kentucky Derby. Falling Sky endured nearly six months off after the Derby and since has a ninth in the minor City of Laurel Stakes in November and a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming here January 11.

Reveron - looked good early in 2012 with a third in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in February and a second in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on this track in March 2012 but has only three starts since with sketchy results. He returned after 20 months away with a sixth in an Allowance Optional Claiming November 24, 2013 and followed that with a sixth in the minor Harlan's Holiday Stakes on this track December 22. Last time out was a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track January 11.

Purple Egg - has nine career starts for trainer Jane Cibelli - he won his first three - the minor Inaugural Stakes over the impressive Brave Dave at Tampa Bay December 1, an Allowance in September here and a MSW in his career debut at Monmouth in August. He had five starts in 2013 - a ninth in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby in March, a third in the minor Trippi Stakes at Belmont Park in April, a fifth in the minor Aljamin Stakes in September, a nice win in the Barbaro Stakes at Delaware Park in October and a fifth in the minor Harlan's Holiday Stakes on this track December 22. Last time out was another fifth - in the Grade 3 Hal's Hope here January 11.

Narvaez - raced in stakes company for the first time March 30 in the Grade 1 Florida Derby where he finished an OK fourth. He followed that with a seventh in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne April 20 and an eighth in the Grade 2 Peter Pan May 11 before being sent to the sidelines for nearly eight months. Last time out was a fourth in his return to the track in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track January 4. Prior to the Florida Derby he had two wins in three starts including an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Gulfstream March 9 and a MSW score at Calder in November.

Silver Menace - last raced in graded stakes company and finished twelfth in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes May 2012 after a fourth in the Grade 3 Swale Stakes on this very track in March 2012. Last time out was a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming here November 24 after a third in the minor Wild and Wonderful Stakes at Charles Town in September and a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Monmouth Park in August. He has 16 career starts with four wins, a second and three third place finishes.


2014 Sprint Championship Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 11 on Gulfstream Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 5:31 PM.

Entry Horse Jockey Trainer ML Odds
1 Laugh Track J. Rosario M. Casse
5-2
2 Jackson Bend J. Velazquez S. Gold
6-1
3 Narvaez A. Jaen A. Bezara
30-1
4 Reveron E. Trujillo A. Bezara
20-1
5 Falling Sky L. Saez G. Weaver
20-1
6 Brujo de Olleros (BRZ) A. Garcia R. Mettee
5-1
7 Silver Menace J. Caraballo K. Ritvo
20-1
8 Fort Loudon E. Zayas S. Gold
15-1
9 Catron J. Castellano T. Pletcher
3-1
10 Singanothersong J. Leyva R. Pellegrini
5-1
11 Purple Egg J. Rocco, Jr. J. Cibelli
15-1