Pan American Stakes 2016 at Gulfstream Park

OffTrackBetting.com - The Grade 2 Pan American Stakes is on tap for this Saturday, April 2 from Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. A purse of $200,000 will be on the line for horses four years old and upward willing to go 1 1/2 miles on Gulfstream's turf track.

A field of 10 older turfers plus one Main Track Only Entry will line up in the Pan American Stakes - race 13 on Gulfstream's stacked Saturday card. Post time is 6:11 PM. Let's take a glance into the past performances of all 11 combatants for this Grade 2 stakes.

2016 Pan American Stakes Race Preview

Grand Tito - won the 2014 Grade 1 Miami Mile in April and has been up and down since. He won the minor Miesque's Approval Stakes at Gulfstream July 5 and an Allowance last August and has numerous runner-up finishes the last while as well - the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap September 7, the 2015 Miami Mile last April, the Grade 3 Canadian Turf February 21, 2015 and in the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes in January of last year included. He also has three thirds the last two years - one being the Grade 3 Appleton Stakes March 28. Grand Tito enters on the heels of a terrific two race win streak - the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes over Kaigun by 1 1/4 lengths here March 5 and an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track February 13. They followed an uncharacteristic eleventh in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile. He has placed in seven of his last nine starts overall and enters in career best form. He hopes for his second straight graded stakes score Saturday when he departs gate 4 with Javier Castellano in the reins.

Kaigun - 2014 winner of the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes at Woodbine, Mark Casse trained gelding ended 2014 with a terrific win in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar. He also finished second in two other Grade 1 stakes in 2014 - the Manhattan Stakes in June and in the Maker's Mile. He has enters off four straight runner-up finishes - behind Grand Tito in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes here March 5, in the Grade 3 John B. Connally Turf Cup January 30 at Sam Houston, in the Grade 3 WL McKnight Handicap at Gulfstream December 26 and the Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct in November. Those results followed a pair of fourth place finishes in Grade 1 races at Woodbine. Kaigun now five wins, eight seconds and three third place finishes in 26 career starts, has been knocking on the door and looks to snap a string of second-it is from the rail Saturday. Joe Bravo has the mount.

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Wake Forest - German bred Chad Brown trainee has six wins and a third place finish in 11 career starts. He made his North American debut back in August and finished sixth in the Grade 1 Arlington Millions - the last time he was on the track. Before shipping he posted a career best effort - a win in a Group 1 race in Hamburg. Wake Forest was impressive at home but looked slightly out of place in his only start on North American soil. He hits the track for the first time in eight months Saturday hoping to replicate the form he had in Europe. John Velazquez has been tabbed to ride from post 7.

Seeking Alpha - will make his stakes debut for trainer Chad Brown having posted three wins, a second and two third place finishes in eight career starts. He enters on a nice three race win streak - an Allowance Optional Claiming last time out on this track March 11 followed an Allowance score February 7 here and a MSW win in December at Aqueduct. Seeking Alpha arrives on quite a roll and looks ready for his step up in competition. Luis Saez will be in the irons from post 9.

Montclair - Irish bred Christophe Clement trained gelding had two wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in 13 starts at home - the best of which was a win in a Group 3 race at Longchamp in April, 2014. He has three starts in North America - an Allowance Optional Claiming score last time out on this track February 3 followed a fourth in a similar race at Saratoga in August and a second in the minor Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park in July. He has been decent so far and will be after his first North American stakes score from the outside gate 11 with Julien Leparoux scheduled to ride.

Jay Gatsby - has 10 career starts for trainer James Jerkens with three wins, four seconds and a third place finish. He finished fifth in his only graded stakes action to date - the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park in October and went on to a fifth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Aqueduct in November. He's been better in his two starts of 2016 - a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming last time out March 5 followed an Allowance Optional Claiming score January 19 - both on this track. Jay Gatsby looks for his first stakes win and enters in so-so form. Paco Lopez has been tabbed to ride from gate 2.

St. Albans Boy - has 23 career starts with just four wins and four third place finishes. He enters off a third last time out in the minor H. Allen Jerkens Stakes here January 31, a fourth in the Grade 3 WL McKnight Handicap on this track December 26, a seventh in the Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap November 14, a good win in the minor Laurel Turf Cup October 31, a decent third in the Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes October 15 and a fourth in the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup in September. St. Albans Boy hopes for his first graded stakes score Saturday and enters having placed in three of his last five starts. Nik Juarez will be in the irons hoping to accomplish that goal from post 5.

Xaverian - Charles Simon trained gelding has two wins, two seconds and six third place finishes in 17 career starts and makes his graded stakes debut Saturday. Last time out was a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming here February 27 after a second in the minor H. Allen Jerkens Stakes here January 23 and a sixth in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track January 9. His last win came in July, 2014 but he has placed in four of his last five starts overall. Xaverian steps up for the first time in OK form from post 3. Tyler Gaffalione gets the call.

O'Prado Ole - Dale Romans trainee has just two wins, a second and three third place finishes in 19 career starts and has placed in just one of seven graded stakes tries - a second in the 2014 Grade 3 Stars and Stripes Stakes at Arlington. He enters off a fourth place finish in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes here March 5, a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming race here February 3 and seven straight off-the-board finishes including a twelfth in the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes in September and a ninth in the 2014 Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International Stakes. He looks for his first win since an Allowance in October, 2013 when he leaves from gate 6 with Jose Lezcano aboard.

Hello Don Julio - Michael Dilger trained gelding has just one career start and it was a win - on this track March 13. He is by far the least experienced entries in the field but will try to make it two straight wins from gate 8. Jose Carabello rides.

Twilight Eclipse - Main Track Only Entry is the world record holder at 1 1/2 miles on turf when he won the Grade 2 William McKnight Handicap December 28, 2013 in wire-to-wire fashion by seven lengths. He's placed in 10 of 13 races ahead of this weekend - a seventh five starts back in the Grade 3 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park June 7, a seventh last time out in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes here March 5 and an eighth two starts back in the Breeders' Cup Turf were the lone bad races over the last 19 months. Before the Breeders' Cup were third place finishes in three straight graded stakes races including the 2015 edition of this race. He now has seven wins, five seconds and seven third place finishes in 30 career starts and may be after his first win in nearly a year.

2016 Pan American Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 13 on Gulfstream Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 6:11 PM.