Fort Lauderdale Stakes 2016 at Gulfstream Park

Las Vegas, NV - Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida will be the scene of the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale Stakes on Saturday, January 9. Horses four years old and upward will be featured when they take to Gulfstream's turf track and race 1 1/16 miles for the winner's share of the $200,000 purse.

11 older horses plus one Main Track Only Entry have been confirmed for the Fort Lauderdale Stakes - race 10 on Gulfstream's packed Saturday card. Post time is 4:35 PM. Let's take a look at the past performances of all 12 possible entries for this Grade 2 stakes.

2016 Fort Lauderdale Stakes Race Favorites

Lochte - was very good in 2014 when he won the $300,000 Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap in upset fashion, finished second in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile and had a third in the Grade 1 Maker's 46 Mile. He hadn't been great after that before three straight stakes scores as favorite ahead of this weekend by a combined 12 lengths - the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap last time out by four lengths November 21 at Gulfstream Park West, the Spider John Stakes on that track October 25 and the Mr. Steele Stakes at here in September. He failed to place in five of six starts prior to that and now has nine wins, five seconds and six third place finishes in 32 career starts. Lochte enters on fire and is expected to be in the mix again Saturday on a track he's posted five wins and a third place finish in nine starts - from the rail with Javier Castellano aboard.

Takeover Target - Chad Brown trained colt makes his eighth career start Saturday having recorded four wins and a second place finish so far. He made his graded stakes debut in July and finished a somewhat disappointing fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes Invitational and followed that with a good win in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes in August, a sixth in the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes in September and a nice 1 3/4 length win last time out in the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park October 3. Takeover Target has been a tad inconsistent but looks for his third graded stakes score overall Saturday from gate 8 with Irad Ortiz guiding him.

Fort Lauderdale Stakes 2016 | Remaining Contenders

Heart to Heart - Canada's 2014 champion 3-year-old male, multiple Grade 3 winning Brian Lynch trainee colt enters off a good win in the Grade 3 River City Handicap November 26 after 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, 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 November 15, the Grade 3 Jefferson Cup Stakes on that same track in September and the minor Better Talk Now Stake in wire-to-wire fashion at Saratoga in August. Heart to Heart now has seven wins, two seconds and two third place career starts and has won two of his last three starts overall. Jockey Julien Leparoux hopes to make it three-in-four from post 11.

War Correspondent - Christophe Clement trainee raced just twice in 2014 - the first being a four length Allowance Optional Claiming score at Monmouth Park September 13 and the other being a good second in the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes at Woodbine in November. He had just two starts in 2015 as well - good win in the Grade 3 Appleton Stakes here way back in March followed a third in the 2015 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap. He had four starts to start his career in his native France where he posted two wins, a second and a third place finish. War Correspondent makes just his fifth start in 16 months but has been solid when on the track - four wins, two seconds and two thirds in eight career starts. Jose Lezcano will try to keep the impressive run going in War Correspondent's first start since March - from post 7.

Sky Flight - Mark Casse pupil won the Tropical Park Derby on this track last December and went on to consecutive thirds in graded stakes action - the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes last January and the Grade 2 Firecracker Stakes in June. He failed to place in his next three starts but has strung together two straight wins ahead of this weekend - the minor Artie Schiller Stakes at Aqueduct last time out November 21 and an Allowance in October. Sky Flight hopes for his first ever graded stakes score from post 9 Saturday with Joel Rosario in the reins.

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Key to Power - Brendan Walsh trainee has 36 career starts with 12 wins, four seconds and three third place finishes. He made his graded stakes debut November 21 at Gulfstream Park West and finished fourth in the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap and followed that with a Starter Stakes score on this track December 5. Before the Tropical Turf he won two straight minor stakes races - the Teleprompter Stakes at Arlington September 26 and the Cliff Guilliams Handicap at Ellis Park September 7. Key to Power has won four of his last six starts overall and chases his first graded stakes score in decent form. Corey Lanerie gets the call from post 3.

Lukes Alley - last year's Sovereign Award winner as champion older horse in Canada has been very good in limited action the last 18 months. He enters on the heels of consecutive runner-up finishes - the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes last time out November 8 and the Grade 3 Durham Cup Stakes October 3 after an Allowance score by 2 3/4 lengths September 12, and wins in the 2014 Autumn Stakes and 2014 Durham Cup Stakes. He has five wins and three second place finishes in his last eight starts overall - all at Woodbine and is expected in the mix once again Saturday. Paco Lopez will be in the saddle in attempts to keep the roll going - from gate 4 .

All Included - Todd Pletcher trained colt has been OK in his 10 race career - four wins and a third place finish. Last time out was a fifth in the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap at Gulfstream Park West November 21 which followed another fifth in the Grade 3 Knickerbocker Stakes at Belmont Park October 10, an OK third in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga September 7 and an Allowance Optional Claiming score on that same track in July. All Included looks for his first stakes score Saturday having placed in five of his last eight starts and leaves from gate 6 with Luis Saez in the saddle.

Fredericksburg - finished third in this race last year and has placed in three of five starts since. Last time out was a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Belmont Park October 10 after a third in the minor Old Friends Stakes at Kentucky Downs September 16 and two straight off-the-board finishes in minor stakes action this past summer. He now has three wins, six seconds and four third place finishes in 24 career starts and looks for his first stakes win from gate 10. Joe Bravo gets the call from gate 10.

Money Talker - Josie Carroll trained gelding has 30 career starts with six wins, four seconds and two third place finishes. Last time out was a second in the minor Labeeb Stakes at Woodbine October 25 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score on that track in August and off-the-board finishes in four of his previous five starts. Money Talker looks for his first stakes score Saturday and enters in so-so form. Tyler Gaffalione has been tabbed to ride from gate 2.

Slip By - Michael Matz trained gelding has 13 career starts with four wins, a second and a third place finish. He has definitely been up and down in his career - a ninth last time out in the minor Artie Schiller Stakes at Aqueduct November 21 followed an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Laurel Park in October, a sixth in an Allowance Optional Claiming in August, a second in a similar race in July and a fourth in his only graded stakes action to date - the Grade 2 Firecracker Stakes in June. Slip By hopes for his first stakes score Saturday but enters in sketchy form. Rafael Manuel Hernandez rides from post 5.

Madeformlucky - Main Track Only Entry won the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes and Grade 2 West Virginia Stakes in 2015 and may enter on the heels of consecutive runner-up finishes. Last time out it was a second in the minor Harlan's Holiday Stakes here December after the second in the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap at Aqueduct November 11. Madefromlucky now has four wins, four seconds and a third place finish in 13 career starts.

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2016 Fort Lauderdale Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 10 on Gulfstream Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:35 PM.