Hal's Hope Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 3 Hal's Hope Stakes comes our way from Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach Florida this Sunday, January 13. Four year olds will be after the winner's share of the $100,000 purse when they go one mile on Gulfstream's dirt track.
The Hal's Hope has attracted a strong field of 10 four year olds to go in race 10 on Gulfstream's Sunday card. Post time is 5:05 PM. Let's take a look at the past performances of all 10 entries ahead of this Grade 3 race.
2013 Hal's Hope Stakes Race Favorites
Csaba - is a five-time winner in south Florida and comes into the Hal's Hope having won three straight - the Harlan's Holiday last time out here by 3 3/4 lengths over Delegation, the Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper Handicap November 24 at Calder and the minor Tropical Park Derby by a stunning 14 lengths also at Calder October 13. He recorded an 8 1/4-length victory here in the $75,000 El Kaiser Stakes in mid-July and followed that with an impressive close second in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes August 10. He also had a ninth place finish at the minor Equalize Stakes at Saratoga in August and a disappointing seventh in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx September 22 during his 2012 campaign.
Soldat - had only two starts in 2012 - an Allowance Optional Claiming score here back in March and a sixth in the If Winter Comes Stakes at Aqueduct November 17 after an eight month layoff. In 2011 he had an Allowance win and a nice win in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes before ending his 2011 season with an eleventh in the Kentucky Derby. He is lightly raced the past couple of years, showed very well on turf as a two year old in 2010 and has been in there with some of the toughest competition in the past.
Hal's Hope Stakes 2013 | Remaining Field Entries
Delegation - made his graded stakes debut in August and finished third in the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes at Woodbine before two straight impressive wins - an Allowance Optional Claiming score and the Grade 3 Durham Cup Stakes in October at Woodbine. He went on to a very good third in the 2012 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile behind Tapizar and Rail Trip and a second last time out in the minor Harlan's Holiday Stakes here December 16 right behind Csaba. Delegation has four wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in eight career starts for trainer Mark Casse.
Associate - finished third in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes to end 2011 but mainly focused on Allowance races in 2012 placing in all four before a nice third last time out in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park October 27. In the four Allowances starts in 2012 he had two wins, a second and a third place finish before stepping up last time out and finishing a good third in the Bold Ruler.
Pool Play - is a multiple graded stakes winner who finished third in the Washington Park Handicap September 1 and followed that up with an impressive score in the Grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup October 6. Last time out was an eighth in the Breeders' Cup Classic. He posted his biggest career victory with a 36-to-1 upset in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs in June of 2011 prior to a one-year layoff. Pool Play has 33 career starts with seven wins, six second place finishes and six thirds.
Hal's Hope Stakes betting at Gulfstream Park with OffTrackBetting.com
Pants On Fire - had a fifth in the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds on April 1 and followed that with a sixth in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic. He did win the minor Skip Away Stakes at Monmouth in May but was sixth again last time out as favorite in the Delta Mile Stakes at Delta Downs November 17. Pants On Fire is a multiple graded stakes winner that has been less-than scintillating the last year or so minus that one stakes win. Pants on Fire is cross entered in the Fort Lauderdale Saturday.
Good Morning Diva - had an OK fourth in the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes in May to follow up an impressive win at the Calder Derby on April 14 . He finished a disappointing fifth in the Grade 3 Swale Stakes on March 10 after breaking maiden on February 11 at Gulfstream. In his last four starts, Good Morning Diva has two fourths, a third and an Allowance score last time out at Calder November 23. He has three wins and three third place finishes in 10 career starts for trainer David Braddy.
Scatman - started 2012 in style - two straight wins against lesser competition, a second at the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn on February 20 and a third at the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on March 17 also at Oaklawn. He struggled in the spring to a ninth in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes and a tenth in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes but rebounded with two straight Allowance scores in October and November. Last time out was a fifth in the Harlan's Holiday Stakes here December 16.
Cool Blue Red Hot - hasn't races since a very good third in the 2012 version of this race after an Allowance Optional Claiming score on October of 2011. He has three wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in 10 career starts for trainer Angel Penna Jr.
Swagger Jack - had five starts in 2012 - all Allowance Optional Claiming races with two wins and a second place finish. He hasn't been in graded stakes company since May 2011 when he finished fifth in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs.
