A pair of 3-year-olds will be in the spotlight tomorrow at Gulfstream Park, one who will be closely followed by the entire racing community because the sophomore debut of the last juvenile champion is always viewed with great interest, and the other to determine if Florida's best from the previous year is going to progress and become competitive on a national level.

    Classic Empire, the 2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and subsequent 2-year-old champ, makes his debut for trainer Mark Casse and owner John Oxley in the Gr. II, $350,000 Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes at a mile and one-sixteenth. The son of Pioneerof the Nile, a $475,000 Keeneland September yearling, hasn't started since his neck victory in the Juvenile at Santa Anita, and he's been brought along slowly by Casse, with a 1:00.75 five-furlong drill at Palm Meadows his fastest work so far. Classic Empire won four of his five starts at two, and earned $1,485,000.

    The only race Classic Empire lost can be easily forgiven. In the Gr. I Hopeful at Saratoga, in his third start, the colt wheeled at the break and lost rider Irad Ortiz, and Practical Joke went on to win. He had revenge in the Juvenile, where Practical Joke finished third. Classic Empire has drawn the 3 post with Julien Leparoux, who is still trying to find a TV analyst who can pronounce his name correctly. 

    Florida's great bay hope is Three Rules, the son of Northwest Stud's Gone Astray who won his first five starts at two, including four stakes, highlighted by a sweep of the Florida Sire trilogy in which nobody got close to him. But Three Rules bombed in the Breeders' Cup, sitting close to the early pace but having nothing left when the real running began. It was almost a mirror image of the performance turned in by California Chrome against Arrogate last week in the Pegasus World Cup.

    Trainer and co-owner Bert Pilcher is bypassing the Holy Bull with Three Rules in favor of the Gr. II, $200,000 Swale Stakes, which will be contested at seven furlongs, seven races earlier. Cornelio Velasquez will be aboard the colt, who is 7/5 on the morning line. As opposed to Classic Empire, Pilcher has let his colt run in his morning drills, and Three Rules has posted four bullet works, a 34.10 for three furlongs, 47.20 for four furlongs, and 58.72 and 58.95 for five. No excuses here that he isn't ready for his return.

    The Holy Bull and Swale are two of five stakes slated for another stellar Gulfstream program, and, although the handle won't approach last week's record $40-plus million, it should draw the most attention around the continent for handicappers who love to bet on stakes and turf races contested in the sunshine. The other three stakes are the $200,000, Gr. II Forward Gal for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs; the $100,000, Gr. III Sweetest Chant for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on the grass, and the $100,000 Kitten's Joy for 3-year-olds at a mile on the grass, which, naturally, has drawn Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Kitten's Cat, who is 5-1 on the line. 

 

 

 

 

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