2017 Harlan's Holiday Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The G3 Harlan's Holiday Stakes comes our way this Saturday, December 16 from Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Horses three years old and upward will line up on Gulfstream's dirt track and race 1 1/16 mils for the winner's share od the $100,000 purse.

A field of nine will give it a go in the Harlan's Holiday Stakes - race 9 on Gulfstream's Park's impressive Saturday card. Post time is 4:06 PM. Let's take a brief glance into the past performances of all nine combatants for this competitive G3 stakes - five of which are graded stakes winners.

2017 Harlan's Holiday Stakes Entries at Gulfstream Park

Destin 5-2

Has 14 career starts for Todd Pletcher with five wins, two seconds and two third place finishes. He enters off a sixth in the G1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Dons November 24 which followed a good win in the G2 Marathon Stakes at Del Mar November 3 and a fifth in the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes at Belmont Park October 7. Before that was an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Saratoga August 23, a third in a similar race on this track May 28 and nine months away. Before his layoff was a ninth in the 2016 G1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga, an OK third in the G2 Jim Dandy Stakes on that track July 30, a good runner-up finish in the 2016 Belmont Stakes, an OK sixth in the 2016 Kentucky Derby and a terrific two race win streak - the G2 Tampa Bay Derby and by 2 1/4 lengths in the G3 Sam F. Davis Stakes. Destin has been up and down in his career and searches for his second graded stakes score in three starts - from post 3 with John Velazquez aboard the morning line favorite.

Fear the Cowboy 7-2

Efren Loza trainee has placed in 17 of 26 career starts - eight wins, seven seconds and two third-place finishes. He won the G3 Skip Away Stakes at Gulfstream in March and has been OK since. Last time out was a third in the listed Swatara Stakes at Penn National November 22 which followed a fourth in the G3 Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs September 30, a good win in the listed West Virginia Governor's Cup at Mountaineer August 5 and consecutive seconds - the listed Michael G. Schaefer Memorial Stakes at Indiana Grand July 15 and the minor Evangeline Mile in June. Fear the Cowboy has hit the board in seven of his last nine starts overall - in decent form ahead of this weekend. He tries for his second graded stakes score on this track this year - from post 7 with Javier Castellano guiding the morning line second choice.

Mr. Jordan 4-1

Edward Plesa trained gelding has eight wins, four seconds and six third-place finishes in his 24 career starts. He won the 2015 G3 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park and has continued to be competitive. In 2016, he placed in three straight graded stakes races and won the minor Millions Classic Preview Stakes at Gulfstream Park West. He enters off an eye-opening 11-length win in the 2017 Millions Classic Preview Stakes November 11 after a disappointing eighth in the minor Pa. Derby Champion Stakes at Parx September 23 and an OK third in the G3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park August 26. Before that was an Allowance score at Parx and three off-the-board finishes in stakes action to start his year. Mr. Jordan has been decent in the past and enters off a terrific effort. Edgard Zayas has been tabbed to ride from gate 2.

Page McKenney 6-1

Has 20 wins, 15 seconds and four third-place finishes in 52 career starts for trainer Mary Eppler. He placed in an impressive 28 straight starts between 2015 and April of this year including wins in the 2016 G3 General George Stakes and 11 minor stakes races. He has been decent since. Last time out was his worst result in a long while however - a fifth in the minor Richard W. Small Stakes at Laurel Park November 11 after wins in the minor Pa. Derby Champions Stakes at Parx September 23 and the minor Roanoake Stakes on that track September 2. Page McKenny has been as competitive as they come winning eight of his last 12 starts and chases a second graded stakes score (first around two turns) from post 5 Saturday. Horacio Karamanos gets the call.

Flatlined 6-1

Late blooming Charles Dickey trained gelding has 26 career starts with six wins, five seconds and two third place finishes. He enters off a disappointing ninth in the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland October 7 after a second in the listed Tourist Mile at Kentucky Downs September 6, a win in the minor Cliff Guillams Handicap at Ellis Park August 13 and consecutive sevenths - the G2 Mac Diarmida Stakes March 4 and the G1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap February 11. He also had a career-best win at 15-1 odds in the G2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream January 14, consecutive runner-up finishes - the minor El Prado Stakes December 17 and an Allowance Optional Claiming November 11 and consecutive wins - the best coming in the minor Old Friends Stakes at Kentucky Downs last September 8. Flatlined has been a tad tough to figure out but has won in graded stakes action on this track before. Joel Rosario will be in the saddle Saturday from gate 8.

Richard the Great 10-1

Stanley Gold trained gelding has four wins in his 12 career starts to go along with two seconds and a third-place finish. He arrives off a second in the minor Millions Classic Preview Stakes at Gulfstream Park West November 11 which followed an eighth in the G2 Ogden Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland October 6, a second in the minor Groomstick Handicap here September 3 and a good in in the minor Trinniberg Handicap on this track August 12. His only other graded stakes result was a fourth in the 2015 G3 Hutcheson Stakes on this track. Richard the Great has been a tad tough to figure out but has placed in four of his last five starts overall. He shoots for a first graded stakes score from the rail with Paco Lopez guiding him.

Conquest Big E 15-1

Donna Hurtak trained gelding finished eighth in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and has been mostly underwhelming since. Last time out was a sixth in the G3 Ack Ack Stakes at Churchill Downs September 30 which followed a fourth in the G3 Philip H Islelin Stakes at Monmouth Park August 26 and two straight wins - the minor Coast Is Clear Handicap July 23 and an Allowance Optional Claiming June 7 - both on this track. He had three prior graded stakes starts and failed to place in any. Conquest Big E shoots for a major breakthrough Saturday when he departs from gate 4 with Jose Batista in the reins.

Frammento 20-1

Has just two wins in 20 career starts for trainer Nick Zito to go along with one second and three third-place finishes. He was eleventh in the 2015 Kentucky Derby and fifth in the Belmont Stakes that year and has been just OK since. Last time out was a seventh in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Keeneland October 12 which followed a third in a similar race at Monmouth Park August 26 and another third in the G3 Westchester Stakes at Belmont Park May 6. Before that was an eighth in the G3 Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland April 15 and a fourth in the G3 Fred W. Hooper Stakes on this track March 4. He won an Allowance Optional Claiming here before that on February 5. Frammento tries for a first stakes score Saturday but arrives in less-than-spectacular form. Tyler Gaffalione will be in the saddle from gate 6.

Joshua's Comprise 30-1

Barry Rose trained multiple stakes placed gelding has an astounding 73 career starts with just three wins, eight seconds and eight third-place finishes - he has failed to place in four graded stakes tries however. Last time out was a fifth in the minor Millions Classic Preview Stakes which followed consecutive seconds in Allowance races in October - all at Gulfstream Park West. His last win came in a Claiming race eight starts back on this track. Joshua's Comprise is certainly experienced but has been mostly unflattering. He tries for a first ever graded stakes score Saturday from the outside post 9 with Oscar Ulloa aboard.

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