Iron Hand Seeks 5th Win in a Row in Saturday’s Bear’s Den

D’Angelo Trainee Slated to Make Turf Debut in 3YO Feature

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Stakes action on turf returns to Gulfstream Park after a month break with the running of Saturday’s $75,000 Bear’s Den, in which Baoma Corporation’s Iron Hand will make a bid for a fifth consecutive victory.

The son of Valiant Minister will be seeking to extend his win streak while making his debut on turf in the mile stakes for 3-year-olds.

“The question mark is: Will he like turf?” trainer Jose D’Angelo said. “There are some horses that like Tapeta better than turf. I’ve worked him on grass and he’s looked OK.”

Iron Hand had finished third on Gulfstream’s main track in each of his first three career starts before being transferred to Tapeta Jan. 19 for a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight for Florida-breds, in which he rallied from last in a five-horse field to graduate by a half-length.

“I always liked him. He started his career on dirt but when I saw him train in the morning, I knew he was going to like a change of surface,” D’Angelo said. “He worked good on Tapeta and the horse won. I really liked the gallop-out and knew he’d like two-turn races.”

Sent around two turns while facing open company for the first time, Iron Hand rallied from just off the pace to prevail by a neck in a mile-and-70-yard first-level allowance on the all-weather surface April 11. He went on to win back-to-back allowance races on Tapeta in open company by 5 ½ and 5 ¾ lengths, respectively, at 1 1/16 miles (May 9) and a mile and 70 yards (June 6).

“He’s improving. He’s moving forward,” D’Angelo said. “I’m very happy with him.”

Edwin Gonzalez, who has been aboard Iron Hand in all seven of his races, has the return mount.

Laura Murphy’s Win With Faith will bring considerably more experience on turf into the Bear’s Dean, in which the son of Win Win Win will seek to breakthrough with a stakes victory. The Ron Spatz-trained gelding finished second behind Tank, who recently ran fourth in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby, in the Sophomore Turf at Tampa Bay Downs and the English Channel at Gulfstream last winter.

The late-running Win With Faith, who will be ridden by Miguel Vasquez, most recently finished second in a June 20 optional claiming allowance behind Layabout.

Kevin Doyle’s Layabout is one of two entrants trained by Patrick Biancone. The gelded son of Laoban came to life while making his first start for Biancone and trying Gulfstream’s Tapeta course for the first time, graduating in a mile-and-70-yard maiden optional claimer May 9. He came right back to win his turf debut in a June 20 optional claiming allowance at a mile.

Amy Dunne and Biancone’s I Know I Know finished second behind Iron Hand June 6 before checking in third in the July 5 Soldier’s Dancer on Tapeta.

Jonathan Ocasio has the return mount on Layabout, while Luca Panici will ride I Know I Know for the first time.

C2 Racing Stable LLC and Mathis Stable LLC’s Forged Steel enters the Bear’s Den off a third-place finish in the seven-furlong Carry Back on the main track. In his two prior starts, the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained colt finished third in the mile English Channel and 7 ½-furlong Cutler Bay on turf, beaten less than a length in both.

Reylu Gutierrez is listed to ride the son of Vekoma for the first time Saturday.

Joseph also entered Daniel Alonso and Shining Stables LLC’s Culpa, a recent maiden winner on turf under returning rider Wilfred Vasquez, and Ken Ramsey’s Reach for the Rose, who is set to make his 2025 debut under Rajiv Maragh.

Trainer Chad Stewart and Anthony Lenci’s Lastabitlonger, third in the Not Surprising under returning Leonel Reyes; and Sport of Kings Racing Partners LLC’s Outta Money, a Tareq Moubarak-trained gelding who will race with blinkers-on following a pair of in-the-money optional claiming allowance finishes under returning Cipriano Gil; round out the field.