2017 Rampart Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The G3 Rampart Stakes will be run this Saturday, December 16 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. A purse of $100,000 will be on the line for fillies and mares three years old and upward willing to race one mile on Gulfstream's dirt track.

A field of seven will take to the track in the Rampart Stakes - race 5 on Gulfstream's busy Saturday schedule. Post time is 2:05 PM. Here is a peek into the past performances of all seven entries for this competitive G3 stakes.

2017 Rampart Stakes Entries at Gulfstream Park

Curlin's Approval 8-5

Defending runner-up in this race has seven wins and a second-place finish in her 14 career starts for trainer Happy Alter. She made her graded stakes debut at Keeneland last October 22 and finished an OK fourth in the G2 Raven Run Stakes and followed that with her respectable second in the G3 Rampart Stakes December 17. She went on to two straight wins - by a dominant 2 1/2 length win in the G3 Hurricane Bertie Stakes here January 28 and in the G2 Royal Delta Stakes by six lengths on this track February 18. She didn't look great in her next two starts however - a seventh as 4-5 favorite in the G3 Matron Stakes at Churchill Downs May 20 followed a fifth as favorite again in the G2 Inside Information Stakes in March.

Last time out was a disappointing thirteenth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint after a win in the minor Barely Even Handicap at Gulfstream Park October 1, a sixth in the G1 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga August 26 and another win - by 4 1/2 lengths in the G2 Princess Rooney Stakes at Gulfstream July 1. Curlin's Approval has won two of her last four but has also failed to place in four of her last six. She has been a tad tough to figure out and leaves from the rail Saturday with Luis Saez in the reins of the morning line favorite.

Nonna Mela 5-2

Eclipse Award finalist, Todd Pletcher trained filly has three wins, a second and a third-place finish in seven career starts. She arrives off a somewhat disappointing fifth in the G2 Lexus Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland October 21 which followed an OK second in the G2 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga September 3, a 4 1/2 length Allowance Optional Claiming score on that track August 7 and 10 months away.

Before the layoff was a fourth in the G1 Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park in October, 2016 and two straight wins - the G2 Adirondack Stakes by six lengths in August, 2016 and a maiden score by 7 1/4 lengths at Monmouth Park in July of last year. Nonna Mela shoots for a first graded stakes score in 16 months Saturday in just her fourth start of 2017 when she leaves from gate 6 with Javier Castellano aboard the second betting choice.

Lewis Bay 7-2

Chad Brown trained filly has placed nine of 10 career starts - four wins, four runner-ups and a third-place finishes. She was last seen in November, 2016 when she finished second in the G3 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct. Before that was a good win in the 2016 G3 Turnback the Alarm Stakes at Belmont Park, her only off-the-board finish - a fourth in the G1 Test Stakes at Saratoga August 6 and a decent second after stumbling at the start in the G1 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park July 2, 2016.

Before that was a respectable third in last year's G1 Kentucky Oaks, a good win in the G2 Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct April 9, 2016 a second-place finish in the G2 Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream in February, and a win in the 2015 G2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct. Lewis Bay has been in the mix every time out and is expected to be again Saturday in her first race in over a year. Irad Ortiz has the mount from post 3.

Alpine Sky 6-1

Mark Case trained mare has three wins and six seconds in her 18 career starts. Last time out was her graded stakes debut - a fifth in the G2 Chilukki Stake at Churchill Downs November 5 which followed an Allowance Optional Claiming score September 1 and a second in a similar race August 11 - both on this track. Alpine Sky failed to place in her previous three Allowance races at Laurel Park. Alpine Sky has been OK but has yet to record a stakes score. Tyler Gaffalione has been tabbed to change all of that from post 5.

Gamble's Ghost 12-1

Has seven wins in 15 career starts for trainer Josie Carroll to go along with three runner-up finishes. She enters on the heels of a three-race win streak - the G3 Maple Leaf Stakes last time out November 4 (a race she won in 2016 as well), an Allowance October 6 and the minor Belle Mahone Stakes September 2 - all at Woodbine. Before that was a fifth in the G2 Dance Smartly Stakes September 2 and an Allowance Optional Claiming score June 9.

Other results include a seventh against the boys in Canada's biggest race - the 2016 Queen's Plate and a win in the 2016 G3 Selene Stakes. Gamble's Ghost has mostly been competitive so far and hopes for a fourth straight win from the outside post 7 Saturday. John Velazquez gets the call.

King's Ghost 15-1

Has 17 career starts for trainer Martin Woldson with seven wins and two second-place finishes. She makes her graded stakes debut Saturday off a good win in the minor Monroe Stakes here September 30, a fourth in the minor Wasted Tears Stakes September 2 and two nice wins - the minor Treasure Coast Handicap July 15 and a Starter Optional Claiming June 16 - all on this track.

King's Ghost has won three of her last four starts ahead of this weekend - good form ahead of her graded stakes bow. Jorge Ruis will be in the saddle from gate 4.

Lirica 20-1

Antonio Santos trained filly has placed in 13 of 18 career starts - six wins, four seconds and three third-place finishes. She arrives having placed in six of her last seven starts overall - a win last time out in the minor Millions Distaff Stakes at Gulfstream Park West November 11 followed a third in the minor Barely Even Handicap here October 1 and a second in the minor Sea of Grass Handicap September 16 on this track. Her only graded stakes action came in February - an eighth in the G2 Forward Gal Stakes on this very track.

Lirica has been decent in her career so far and shoots for a first graded stakes score from gate 2. Marcos Meneses rides.

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