Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Andie Biancone's Sole Volante regroups from a Triple Crown campaign with a return to turf Dec. 26 in the $75,000 Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream Park.
A 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds, the race will be accompanied on Saturday's 11-race program by the $75,000 Tropical Park Oaks, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies, and the $75,000 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes, a two-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds and up.
Sole Volante will return from a 16-week freshening since running 11th in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs. Previously he had been sixth in the June 20 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) in his other Triple Crown stop.
Turf won't be foreign territory for the 3-year-old gelded son of Karakontie , who launched his career with back-to-back victories over the turf courses at Gulfstream and Gulfstream Park West last year for trainer Patrick Biancone.
"We know he's a turf horse. It's just because he has such a big heart that he takes to the dirt. We're really happy to get him back on turf," said Andie Biancone, assistant to her father.
Having shown talent and with a pedigree to run long, Sole Volante was given a chance to show what he could do on dirt with an eye toward the Triple Crown. Following a solid third in the one-turn mile Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream, Sole Volante stamped himself as a Derby candidate with a 2 1/2-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs. He further earned his way into the Kentucky Derby field with a second in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2), won by King Guillermo. He then prepped for a postponed Belmont Stakes with a triumph in a June 10 stakes-quality allowance at Gulfstream, defeating Jesus' Team, who would go on to finish third in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and second in the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
Video: Sam F. Davis S. (G3)
Calumet Farm's homebred Dack Janiel's will also make the switch from dirt to turf Saturday. He is coming off a third-place finish behind a victorious Jesus' Team in the Claiming Crown Jewel Stakes at Gulfstream Dec. 5. In his prior start, the son of Tonalist showed the way to midstretch before finishing third in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes (G2) on the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup World Championships program at Keeneland for trainer Jack Sisterson.
Dack Janiel's has run twice on turf, finishing third at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in January before graduating in an off-the-turf maiden special weight race in his next start. The colt didn't run on turf again until June when he showed the way before weakening to third late at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Todd Pletcher is scheduled to saddle a pair of Tropical Park Derby starters, Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam , who was beaten by less than a length while finishing fourth in the Aug. 15 Saratoga Derby Invitational; and Waterford Stable's Summer to Remember, who is twice stakes-placed over Gulfstream's turf course.
Trainer Michael Maker has four of the Tropical Park Derby's 10 entrants. Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable's Fancy Liquor is the highest-profile of the Maker quartet, having captured the American Turf Stakes Presented by Smithfield (G2T) on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs.
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, December 26, 2020, Race 8Entries: Tropical Park Derby
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Summer to Remember (KY) Luis Saez 120 Todd A. Pletcher 8/1 2 2Don Juan Kitten (KY) Edgard J. Zayas 124 Michael J. Maker 6/1 3 3Dack Janiel's (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 118 Jack Sisterson 15/1 4 4By Your Side (KY) Paco Lopez 118 Eddie Kenneally 12/1 5 5Sole Volante (KY) Luca Panici 124 Patrick L. Biancone 4/1 6 6Colonel Liam (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Todd A. Pletcher 5/2 7 7Fighting Seabee (KY) Robby Albarado 124 Kenneth G. McPeek 12/1 8 8Me and Mr. C (FL) Joe Bravo 120 Michael J. Maker 20/1 9 9Fancy Liquor (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 124 Michael J. Maker 7/2 10 10Angelus Warrior (KY) Leonel Reyes 120 Michael J. Maker 15/1
