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Lynch Well Represented in Weekend Handicaps at Gulfstream
12/1/2023
Skyro Back on Familiar Footing in Saturday’s $100,000 Sabal Palm
Fast as Flight Ready to Take Off in Sunday’s $100,000 Orange Blossom
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HALLANDALE BEACH, FL__ – Trainer Brian Lynch has two solid chances to get off to a fast start for the 2023-2024 Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park – Skyro in Saturday’s $100,000 Sabal Palm and Fast as Flight in Sunday’s $100,000 Orange Blossom.
Both opening-weekend overnight handicaps will be run around two turns on Tapeta. Both Lynch trainees have won around two turns on the all-weather surface at Gulfstream in the past.
The 1 1/16-mile Sabal Palm will be a supporting feature to the $300,000 In Reality and the $300,000 My Dear Girl, the final legs of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes, on Saturday’s 11-race program.
Raroma Stable LLC’s Skyro, who had previously won over Gulfstream’s turf course, made a winning Tapeta debut last December by two lengths. The gelded son of Verrazano came right back to finish second in a $100,000 handicap on the all-weather surface behind Wolfie’s Dynaghost, who would go on to win the Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway and turn in an impressive score in the Autumn (G2) over Woodbine’s synthetic surface last time out.
“The horse that beat him here is a ‘poly’ specialist. He’s a nice horse. I think it was a pretty good effort to be second to him,” Lynch said.
Skyro went to the sidelines for eight months and returned at Churchill Downs with off-the-board finishes in Sept. 30 Ack Ack (G3) on dirt and an optional claiming allowance on turf.
“We gave him the summer off because he was coming off a pretty steady campaign,” Lynch said. “He was in deep in his first start in the stake and the other day he was starting to make a move and got dead-stopped and never really got back into it,” Lynch said. “They were two subpar races, but he is doing well. He’s had a lovely work here at Palm Meadows the other day. We’re hoping to get him back to his old form.”
Joe Bravo has the call on Skyro, who will meet eight others in the Sabal Palm, including Jose D’Angelo-trained Amstrong, the only 3-year-old in the field who is undefeated in four starts on Tapeta. Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Volcanic has won four of his last five starts on the all-weather surface heading into Saturday’s race. Mike Maker-trained Me and Mr. C, the 125-pound highweight who has won stakes on turf and Tapeta at Gulfstream.
Susan and Jim Hill’s Fast as Flight, who broke her maiden on Tapeta at Gulfstream by two lengths in February 2022, finished a close fourth in the Honey Fox (G3) on turf during last season’s Championship Meet.
The 5-year-old daughter of Air Force Blue will return in the Orange Blossom, a mile-and-70-yard handicap for fillies and mares, off a four-month freshening following a stakes victory in the Anchorage on turf at Ellis Park.
“She’s in great order. I expect a big effort out of her. She’s training fantastic,” Lynch said. “We gave her a break after her Ellis Park stakes win. She comes back very fresh, and I would expect a big shot from her.”
Lynch said the Orange Blossom will likely serve as a prep for the Dec. 30 Suwanee River (G3) over Gulfstream’s turf course.
Fast as Flight was assigned highweight of 124 pounds and will concede from one to seven pounds to her seven rivals. Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained My Sister Lou Ann, who captured the $490,000 One Dreamer on turf at Kentucky Downs two starts back, is rated second at 124 pounds.
Bravo also has the call on Fast as Flight.