Salomon Del Valle's Gunnevera, who last raced in the 2019 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1), turned in his first workout since last summer Feb. 22 at Gulfstream Park West.
The 6-year-old son of Dialed In breezed four furlongs in :50 flat on a fast track.
"He looks like basically his same old self and hopefully it continues that way and hopefully he stays sound, because then we can go up to Saratoga," said Alex Sano, assistant to his father and trainer Antonio Sano.
Gunnevera ran third in last year's Dubai World Cup and resumed regular workouts at Gulfstream Park West between late May and late July. The chestnut was sidelined last year with a fracture in his left hind leg and returned to his trainer in the fall.
"Hopefully we get a race here before going to Saratoga and trying to compete in the handicap races over there, like the Whitney or the Woodward," Sano said. "He loves Saratoga so hopefully we'll make it."
It's a pattern Gunnevera has successfully followed throughout his racing career. He broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park as a 2-year-old, then shipped to Saratoga Race Course and won the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2). At 3 he won the Tangelo Stakes at Gulfstream, then finished second in the Travers Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1). And at 4 he won an allowance optional claiming race by 6 1/2 lengths at Gulfstream before running second in the Woodward Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1).
The multiple graded stakes winner, who has placed in grade/group 1 company six times, has earned more than $5.5 million.
