One Hundred Kings Looks to Reign Supreme in Carry Back

Well-Positioned to Rule over Seven Rivals in 7-Furlong Sprint

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Vicente Stella Stables LLC and Gabriel Alvarez’s One Hundred Kings will look to reign supreme over his seven rivals in Saturday’s $100,000 Carry Back at Gulfstream Park.

Trainer Victor Barboza Jr. thinks the son of Mendelssohn is well-positioned to offer a peak performance in the seven-furlong stakes for 3-year-olds that will co-headline a 10-race card with the $100,000 Musical Romance, a seven-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

One Hundred Kings was a dazzling debut winner at six furlongs April 19 before coming up short to finish second in his May 27 return, also at six furlongs.

“The horse ran very good the first two races, but I think the six furlongs is not good for the horse. I think seven furlongs is better for the horse,” Barboza said. “I like his post position – his first race outside. His last two races were from the inside. Now he is outside”

One Hundred Kings bumped with a rival after breaking from Post 2 in his debut but quickly recovered to press the pace and draw clear by two lengths as the 4-5 favorite. After drawing the rail post position for his return, he was sent to the lead by returning jockey Samy Camacho but succumbed to pressure in the stretch to finish 2 ¾ lengths behind Ramajay.

“The Position 1 is a difficult position. He had the lead but the first quarter and the second quarter [tired him] at the finish,” Barboza said. “Now, this race is different. My horse and the jockey finally have a good position to control the pace in the race.”

One Hundred Kings, who was odds-on in his first two races, has been priced at 6-1 on the morning line for the Carry Back. With BAG Racing Stables LLC, TCC Stables LLC, PaulFam 4 and A. M. A. Stables’ Ramajay likely to be scratched from the Carry Back, those odds will surely dip.

Ramajay is rated second at 5-2 on the morning line on the strength of his victory over One Hundred Kings last time out.

Joseph, who will be at Churchill Downs Saturday to saddle multiple Grade 1 winner White Abarrio for a start in the Stephen Foster (G1), will still be well-represented by Steven Friedfertig and Shining Stables LLC’s Langvad in the Carry Back.

Langvad, rated third at 4-1 on the morning line, is coming off a pace-dictating victory in a six-furlong allowance for Florida-breds May 23.

“He ran big last time, a big race, got a big number,” Joseph said. “It is coming back a little quick. I wasn’t really intending to run here but I’m going to give him a shot.”

The son of Awesome Slew broke his maiden at seven furlongs in his second career start before failing to get involved in his next three starts.

“The previous races he didn’t break that good. Maybe just his class helped him to show more speed last time. He’s the kind of versatile horse that can be right there or just off of it,” Joseph said. “If he can produce the last number, he should be very tough, but he’s stepping up in class so he’s going to have to prove it again.”

Baalbek Corp.’s Wayne’s Law, a consistent stakes performer, has been installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite. The son of 2020 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner graduated in his second career start at 6 ½ furlongs and came right back to capture the one-turn mile Aventura at Gulfstream before closing out his juvenile season with a third-place finish in the Jean Laffite at Delta Downs.

In his 3-year-old debut, the Amador Sanchez trainee showed the way in the 1 1/16-mile Sam Davis at Tampa Bay Downs before finishing second behind Renegade, who went on to win the Arkansas Derby (G1), finish second in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and check in third in the Belmont Stakes. (G1). Wayne’s Law earned his way into the 1 1/8-mile Curlin Florida Derby March 28, in which he led the way before tiring and finishing fifth.

Wayne’s Law, who finished seventh in his turf debut in the May 2 English Channel, will be ridden for the first time by Rajiv Maragh for Saturday’s main-track return.

Blue Rose Farm LLC’s Moonstrocity is another Carry Back entrant and son of Tiz the Law who faced some of the best 3-year-olds in the country around two turns. The Jena Antonucci trainee, who finished third in a one-turn mile maiden special weight at Gulfstream Feb. 28, finished seventh at Keeneland in the April 24 Blue Grass (G1), won by Further Ado.

Moonstrocity, who is rated at 12-1 on the morning line for the Carry Back, returned to one turn at Gulfstream May 8 to win a mile maiden special weight by 1 ½ lengths over heavily favored next-out winner The Pulse. He raced evenly last time out to finish fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Not Surprising on Tapeta.

Jose Morelos has the call on Moonstrocity, who has drawn the rail post position for the Carry Back.

Trainer Tareq Moubarak’s Demolition, an impressive six-length debut winner at six furlongs: Ralph Whitney’s Sonic Surge, who finished third behind Ramajay and One Hundred Kings in his first start off the claim by Bobby Dibona, round; and Diane Amendolara’s Move Jesse Move, who will be looking to improve on a seventh-place finish in the Not Surprising, round out the field.