Handicappers will readily concede that Don’t Get Khozy faces a tall task in Saturday’s $60,000 Bal Harbour at Gulfstream Park.
They will also feel pretty confident that the daughter of Khozan will give them a solid run for their money in the seven-furlong overnight handicap for fillies and mares.
Imaginary Stable's hard-knocking 5-year-old mare faces the imposing challenge of going up against R Adios Jersey, who is unbeaten in six career starts and is expected to be heavily favored to finish first once again. Don't Get Khozy can also be expected to put up a good fight, looking at her impressive career statistics.
The Antonio Sano-trained Don't Get Khozy has finished first or second in 24 of 39 starts while compiling a career 39-11-13-5 scorecard.
"She loves what she is doing," Sano said. "She is very sound and she always works good."
Don't Get Khozy has scored her 11 lifetime wins going around one turn, proving especially effective at the one-turn mile distance in recent starts.
"The seven furlongs is a little short," said Sano, whose trainee has won at six furlongs, 6 ½ furlongs and seven furlongs.
Junior Alvarado has the call aboard Don't Get Khozy, who finished second in the Rampart Stakes during the Championship Meet.
Averill Racing LLC and ATM Racing's R Adios Jersey, who began her career with three straight victories at Gulfstream Park during the 2020-2021 Championship Meet, has been assigned highweight of 125 pounds. The 4-year-old daughter of Adios Charlie went on to win three straight stakes, including the $400,000 Charles Town Oaks (G3) last August. A subsequent disqualification due to a post-race positive test for a therapeutic medication overage was appealed.
R Adios Jersey came off a 3 ½-month layoff to capture the Dec. 11 FTBOA City of Ocala Florida Sire Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs by 11 lengths at the seven-furlong distance last time out. Paco Lopez has the mount for the Florida-bred filly's 2022 debut and first start for trainer Gerald Bennett.
Starship Stables and trainer Steve Dwoskin's Starship Nala, who finished second in the City of Ocala, will drop from graded company for the Bal Harbour. The daughter of Capo Bastone began her 2022 campaign with an optional claiming allowance victory at Gulfstream before finishing fourth in the Inside Information (G2) and fifth in the Hurricane Bertie (G3).
Miguel Vasquez has the call aboard the 6-year-old Florida-bred mare.
Champion Equine LLC's Crumb Bun, who was claimed for $62,500 out of a third-place finish in a March 9 optional claiming allowance, is slated to make her first start for trainer David Braddy in the Bal Harbour. The 6-year-old mare previously finished sixth in the Inside Information following back-to-back wins.
Chantal Sutherland has the return call on the daughter of Afleet Alex.
EKB Stables' Corey, Vaccaro Racing Stable's Race Day Speed, and Javendra Singh's Awesome Annemarie round out the field.
Thursday's Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $50,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $50,000 for Thursday's program at Gulfstream Park.
The popular multi-race wager went unsolved Sunday, a day after a lucky ticketholder hit the jackpot for a $220,289 payoff.
The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
Thursday's Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 3-8, kicked off by a seven-furlong entry-level allowance for Florida-breds in Race 3. Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Vive Bien, looms as a short-priced favorite after registering a commanding 3 ¼-length maiden victory last time out.
The Rainbow 6 sequence will be closed out with back-to-back optional claiming allowances in Races 7 and 8. Todd Pletcher-trained Green Up is rated as the 4-5 morning-line favorite in Race 7, a mile test for 3-year-old fillies, after graduating by 6 ¾ lengths last time out. Trainer Christophe Clement is represented by two entries in Race 8, a five-furlong optional claiming allowance for 3-year-old fillies on turf. Kodama, an Irish-bred daughter of Kodiac, came off a seven-month layoff to graduate at five furlongs on turf after encountering trouble at the start. The Club, a maiden winner at Saratoga last summer, is scheduled to make her 2022 debut Thursday. Junior Alvarado has the call on Kodama, while Miguel Vasquez has been named on The Club, a daughter of Union Rags.
