Grade I winner Capt. Candyman Can, sidelined since June, returns to action in the $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (gr. III) as Gulfstream Park rings out the year Dec. 31.
The six-furlong main track event drew a field of seven, including grade II winner Indiano and grade I-placed Apriority. The Mr. Prospector is the 11th event on a 12-race program at Gulfstream and is set for a 4:45 p.m. EST post.
Capt. Candyman Can, winding down his 5-year-old season, came back lame following a third-place finish in the Aristides Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs Nov. 4. According to trainer Ian Wilkes, no major physical issues were detected but the Candy Ride gelding was given time off to heal a couple of minor problems.
Following a five-furlong work at Palm Meadows in 1:02 Dec. 27, Wilkes decided to enter him in the Mr. Prospector.
An eight-time winner in 16 lifetime starts, Capt. Candyman Can, who is owned by Joseph Rauch and David Zell, has earned $760,147. The bay was awarded victory in the 2009 King's Bishop Stakes (gr. I) on the disqualification of Vineyard Haven but missed 15 months with knee chips following the Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) at Santa Anita later that year.
He returned from that with two victories in minor stakes, including the Sir Shackleton Handicap at Gulfstream in April prior to his most recent absence. Capt. Candyman Can has won two of three starts at Gulfstream but will be seeking his first win in four starts at the six-furlong distance.
Calvin Borel retains the mount on Capt. Candyman Can, who breaks from post 3 in his return.
Indiano, a 3-year-old from the Marty Wolfson barn for owner Stud El Aguila, faces older horses for the first time. The son of Indian Charlie sports a career mark of eight wins in 12 starts after beginning his career in Panama.
A three-length victor in Calder's Carry Back Stakes (gr. II) July 9, the bay colt makes his first appearance since running third in the Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx Racing Sept. 24. Javier Castellano, well in front of his rival jockeys at Gulfstream with 19 victories in the first month of the meet, has the call.
Donald Dizney's 4-year-old homebred Apriority makes his first start since a sixth-place effort in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs.
Trained by David Fawkes, the Grand Slam colt ran second in back-to-back efforts in the Carter Handicap (gr. I) and Churchill Downs Stakes (gr. II) in the spring. He is two-for-two over the track but winless in five tries at the distance.
Immortal Eyes attempts to put an exclamation point on a superb 2011 campaign for trainer Jimmy Toner. Robert Abbo Racing Stable's 6-year-old son of Greatness has five wins and three seconds in nine starts this year and earnings of $269,215. Included were three stakes victories and a second-place showing by a neck to Ventana in the Maryland Sprint Handicap (gr. III) at Pimlico in May.
Nathan's H Q comes into the Mr. Prospector off a runner-up showing in Aqueduct's Fall Highweight Handicap (gr. III) Nov. 24. Zero Rate Policy won a state-bred stakes at seven furlongs at Gulfstream in his most recent start Dec. 4. The Hunk brings a four-race win streak into his stakes debut.
$100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (gr. III, Race 11, 4:45 p.m.), 3 & Up, 6 Furlongs
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight Trainer
1. Apriority (FL), L Saez, 118, D Fawkes
2. Zero Rate Policy (FL), P Lopez, 118, T M Pompay
3. Capt. Candyman Can (KY), C H Borel, 118, I R Wilkes
4. Indiano (KY), J Castellano, 120, M D Wolfson
5. Immortal Eyes (FL), J Lezcano, 120, J J Toner
6. The Hunk (NJ), E Trujillo, 118, B W Perkins Jr.
7. Nathan's H Q (KY), J Rocco Jr., 118, C W Martin
Capt. Candyman Can
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