Gulfstream Park 5/10 Race 9 Preview: Improving Frosted Grace Returns

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and William Branch’s Frosted Grace returns Sunday in his second start off of a layoff as he gears up for a potential return to stakes action.

Frosted Grace is one of six males ages 4 and up entered in Sunday’s ninth race at Gulfstream Park, a 6-furlong allowance/optional claiming event over the main track. The race is the second-to-last leg of the late multi-race sequences and has a listed post time is 5:17 PM Eastern.

1. Magic Tapit (15/1) – The Chiefswood Stables Limited homebred makes his first start since finishing last of eight over this course and distance on February 7 against a similar class level. The 6-year-old Tapit gelding is seeking his first victory since a local 7-furlong allowance event on January 19, 2019.

2. Frosted Grace (7/5) – The 4-year-old Mark Valeski colt nearly got the job done here last time out over this course and distance, getting edged by a head as he returned from a short two-month layoff. A big effort under jockey Nik Juarez could lead to a return to stakes action later this summer, such as the local 6-furlong $200,000 Smile Sprint Stakes (G3) that is scheduled for September 5.

3. Running for Riz (6/1) – The consistent Linda Riznick homebred has posted 81+ Beyer speed figures in each of his past three races, all over this same course and distance and against a similar class level. He will likely try to take the short field gate to wire, something he was unable to do before finishing behind Frosted Grace in that foe’s most recent effort.

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4. Whyruawesome (8/1) – Though his Beyer speed figures have dipped since his owners rescued him from the Jorge Navarro barn and placed him with Liz Dobles, he has still given a true account of himself in four starts this year. He just missed winning the Trust Buster starter allowance stakes over this course and distance three races back, finishing second in a three-horse photo finish. This will be the 9-year-old Whywhywhy gelding’s 60th start.

5. Fuel the Bern (7/2) – Trainer Danny Gargan will saddle him for his first start since a disappointing effort at Aqueduct in February that was his third straight off-the-board effort. However, Gargan has shown a penchant for winning with horses returning from an extended layoff (26% over the past five years), and the 6-year-old Bernardini son fired a quick :47.80 4-furlong work on May 3, so expect a better effort than he previously showed.

6. Where Paradise Lay (5/2) – He will make his first start since owner/trainer Brendan Walsh claimed him for $35,000 after a neck score in a sloppy 6-furlong event here on April 18. The 4-year-old Into Mischief gelding’s win was his first since taking the 7-furlong Star De Naskra Stakes for Maryland-breds at Laurel Park last August.