Canadian Turf Stakes 2016 at Gulfstream Park

OffTrackBetting.com - The Grade 3 Canadian Turf Stakes is on tap for this Saturday, February 27 from Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Horses four years old and upward will be featured when they take to Gulfstream's turf track and race one mile for the winner's share of the $150,000 purse.

A field of nine have been confirmed for the Canadian Turf Stakes - race 8 on Gulfstream's busy Saturday card. Post time is 3:25 PM. Here is a peek into the past performances of all nine combatants for this Grade 3 stakes.

2016 Canadian Turf Stakes Race Preview

Heart to Heart - Canada's 2014 champion 3-year-old male, multiple Grade 3 winning Brian Lynch trainee colt enters off consecutive wins - over the terrific Lukes Alley in the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes last time out in gate-to-wire fashion on this track January 9 and in the Grade 3 River City Handicap at Churchill Downs November 26. Those results followed an ugly tenth in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile in October and another win in the Grade 3 Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park August 2. He also had a disappointing seventh in the Grade 3 Poker Stakes June 6 and a second place finish in the Grade 3 Red Bank Stakes at Monmouth Park. In 2014 he had a nice three race win streak - the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs, the Grade 3 Jefferson Cup Stakes and the minor Better Talk Now Stake in wire-to-wire fashion. Heart to Heart now has eight wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in 19 career starts and has won three of his last four starts overall. Jockey Julien Leparoux hopes to make it four-in-five from gate 8.

Divisidero - William Bradley trained colt has three wins and a third place finish in five career starts. He was last seen back in July when he finished a disappointing seventh in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational which followed consecutive stakes wins - the minor $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes May 30 and the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes May 2 at Churchill Downs. His only other non-win came in the race before - a third in the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes at here last March. Divisidero had been mighty impressive before last time out and will be out to avenge that result in his first race in nearly eight months. Edgar Prado will be in the saddle from gate 2.

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Long On Value - defending champion in this race - Bill Mott trainee has won three of his last seven starts but has failed to place in his last two overall. Last time out was a fifth in the Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Belmont Park back in June after a fourth as 5-2 favorite in the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes at Pimlico May 16, an OK third in the Grade 1 Maker's 46 Mile and a good win in the 2015 Grade 3 Canadian Turf Stakes at 10-1 odds. He also had a nice two race win streak in 2014 - the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at 11-1 odds and the minor Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury Park. Long on Value has been OK the last couple of years and like many will be out to avenge some unflattering efforts. Florent Geroux gets the call in his first race in eight months from post 3.

Avanzare - Multiple Graded Stakes winning Thomas Proctor trained gelding has seven wins, three seconds and three third place finishes in 15 career starts. He won the Grade 3 Arcadia Stakes in January, 2015 and was forced to the sideline for seven months. He returned August 23 and won the Del Mar Mile and followed that with a third in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita September 27. Last time out was a disappointing eighth in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar November 27. Avanzare has placed in six of his last seven starts overall and will be hoping for a bounce back Saturday. Jose Lezcano rides for post 7.

Tower of Texas - Roger Attfield trained gelding was last seen running seventh in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile September 13. He raced in graded stakes company for the first time June 21 and posted an impressive win in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes with an eye-opening 98 Beyer Speed Figure and followed that with two more wins - an Allowance Optional Claiming May 31 and an Allowance win May 10. He had consecutive runner-up finishes in the summer - the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes at Woodbine August 23 and an Allowance July 31 as well. Tower of Texas has three wins and two second place finishes in his last six starts overall but will also be looking for a bounce back in his first race in nearly six months Saturday. Javier Castellano has been tabbed to accomplish that goal from the rail.

Notacatbutallama - posted a couple of graded stakes wins in 2013 - the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes and the Grade 3 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes but hasn't been great the last year or so. An Allowance Optional Claiming score last time out on this track January 30 followed a fourth in an Allowance in November, a ninth in the minor Mohawk Stakes in October and a third and a fourth respectively in a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming races this past summer. He now has eight wins, six seconds and eight third place finishes in 34 career starts and will be chasing his first stakes win in 2 1/2 years from gate 4 with John Velazquez in the saddle.

Quality Bird - Ian Wilkes trained colt has placed in eight of 10 career starts - three wins and five third place finishes. Last time out was a respectable third in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs November 27 which followed an Allowance score in October, a third in the minor Centaur Stakes in September, another Allowance score in August and an eighth in the Grade 3 Iowa Derby in June. He looks for his first stakes score and enters in so-so form. Corey Lanerie has the mount from post 5.

Fredricksburg - Michael Matz trained gelding has just three wins, six seconds and five third place finishes in 26 career starts. Last time out was a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track February 13 after an eighth in the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes here January 9, a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming in October and a third in the minor Old Friends Stakes in September. He will be after his first stakes win Saturday and his first victory since an Allowance in December, 2013 when he leaves from gate 6 with Joe Bravo in the reins.

Passion for Action - has three wins, three seconds and as third place finish in 11 career starts - the best result being a win in the minor Cup and Saucer Stakes at Woodbine in October, 2014. He enters off a sixth in an Allowance Optional Claiming here January 27, a respectable second in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road Stakes at Woodbine in November, a fourth in the Grade 2 Nearctic Stakes in October and an Allowance Optional Claiming score in September. He also had a fourth in the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes in August. Passion for Action looks for his first graded stakes score Sunday in OK form - from the outside post 9 with Luis Saez in the irons.

2016 Canadian Turf Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 8 on Gulfstream Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 3:25 PM.