2017 Skip Away Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida will play host to the G3 Skip Away Stakes on Saturday, March 25. Horses four years old and upward will be featured when they take to Gulfstream's dirt track and race 1 1/8 miles for the winner's share of the $100,000 purse.

A short but quality field of six will take to the track in the Skip Away Stakes - race 12 on Gulfstream's Saturday schedule. Post time is 6:02 PM. Here is a look into the past performances of all eight combatants for this intriguing G3 stakes.

2017 Skip Away Stakes Entries at Gulfstream Park

Zulu 2-1 - lightly raced Todd Pletcher trained colt and former Triple Crown prospect has six career starts with three wins and a second place finish. He made his stakes debut a year ago and finished a good second behind Mohaymen in the G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes here February 27 and followed that with a twelfth in the G1 Blue Grass Stakes in April before eight months away from the track. He returned with a nice win in the minor Tamarac Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths on this track December 18 but faltered again last time out and finished fifth in the G2 Gulfstream Park Handicap February 11. He's also posted an impressive Allowance Optional Claiming score by 7 1/4 lengths January 14, 2016 and a maiden score at first asking December 5 - both results at Gulfstream. Zulu has shown some serious form in the past, particularly on this track and hopes for his first graded stakes score in a bounce back performance when he leaves from gate 4 with Jose Ortiz aboard the morning line favorite.

Team Colors 5-2 - James Jerkens trainee started his career in Europe where he posted a win, a second and a third place finish in four starts and has been good for the most part in nine North American starts - two wins, five seconds and a third place finish. Last time out was a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming here February 26 after an uncharacteristic sixth in the G3 Hal's Hope Stakes on this track January 14 and eighth months away. Before his layoff was a good graded stakes debut - a second in the 2016 G3 Skip Away Stakes on this track way back on April 2, an Allowance Optional Claiming score here in January, 2016 and consecutive seconds in minor stakes action to end his 2015 campaign - the Tropical Park Derby here and the English Channel Stakes at Belmont Park. Team Colors has been a factor nearly every time out and will be chasing his first stakes score from the outside gate 6. Jose Lezcano has the mount on the morning line second choice.

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Flashy Jewel 3-1 - has 22 career starts for trainer Eddie Kenneally with six wins, four seconds and three third place finishes. He has placed in six straight races ahead of this weekend with three wins over that span. Last time out was one of those wins - the minor Old Hickory Stakes on this track February 20 which followed a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming here January 27, another second in the minor Claiming Crown Rapid Transit Stakes here December 3 and a Claiming score at Churchill Downs in November. His only graded stakes action resulted in an eleventh in the 2015 G3 Hawthorne Derby. Flashy Jewel has been very good lately and will be chasing his first graded stakes score from gate 2 Saturday. Joe Bravo has been tabbed to ride the third betting choice.

Fear the Cowboy 4-1 - Efren Loza Jr. multiple stakes winner has 19 career starts with six wins, five seconds and a third place finish. He makes his graded stakes debut Saturday off a runner-up finish in the minor Maxxam Gold Cup Stakes at Sam Houston February 25, an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Delta Downs February 10 and off the board finishes in three straight minor stakes races including the Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds December 17 and the Delta Mile in November. He also won the minor Evangeline Mile in June. Fear the Cowboy has been competitive lately and steps into graded stakes company for the first time in decent form. Jesus Rios will try to guide him to a breakthrough performance from post 3.

Hy Riverside 10-1 - Antonio Sano trained gelding has five wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in 19 career starts. He made his graded stakes debut December 17 and finished a distant fifth in the G3 Harlan's Holiday Stakes on this track and hasn't been much better since. He did post a good win in the minor Sunshine Millions Classic here January 21 but has since finished off the board in three starts. Last time out was an eighth in the G3 Fred W. Hooper Stakes on this track March 4 after another eighth in the G2 Gulfstream Park Handicap here February 11 and a fifth in the minor Poseidon Handicap on this track again January 28. Hy Riverside has placed in just one of his last seven starts overall (it was a win four starts back) - not great and will be after a first graded stakes score from the rail. Luca Panici rides.

Joshua's Comprise 30-1 - has 59 career starts for trainer Barry Rose with just two wins, six seconds and seven third place finishes. He has five graded stakes starts but failed to place in any - a sixth in the G3 Harlan's Holiday Stakes here December 17 and a ninth in the G3 Skip Away Stakes here in 2014 included. He has failed to place in 18 straight races ahead of this weekend as well - not good. Last time out was an eighth in an Allowance Optional Claiming here March 15 after a DNF in the minor Old Hickory Stakes on this track February 20, a seventh in an Allowance Optional Claiming here February 5 and an eighth in the minor Sunshine Millions Classic on this track in January. Not much is expected from Joshua's Comprise when he leaves from post 5 with Eddie Dominguez in the irons.

2017 Skip Away Stakes Odds & Entries

Race 12 on Gulfstream Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 6:02 PM.