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Prevent Seeks to Bolster Resume in Saturday’s English Channel
5/2/2024
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – BC Racing LLC’s Prevent, a multiple stakes-placed son of Neolithic, will seek to finally become a stakes winner in Saturday’s $100,000 English Channel at Gulfstream Park.
The English Channel, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds, will co-headline Saturday’s 11-race program with the $100,000 Honey Ryder, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Prevent enters the English Channel off a game front-running victory in an open optional claiming allowance at a mile on turf April 12. The Florida-bred colt, who held on to win by a nose, was ridden by Edgard Zayas, who has the return mount Saturday. Zayas was aboard Prevent for a second-place finish in the March 24 Sophomore Turf Stakes for state-breds at Tampa Bay Downs, where the son of Neolithic opened up by four lengths before weakening to finish second in the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes.
“Edgard really likes him. He thinks he should have won that race in Tampa. I think he knows him a little bit better now,” BC Racing LLC’s Brian Cohen said.
Juan Alvarado-trained Prevent has run around two turns in five of his last six races, winning two and finishing second twice, including a runner-up finish in the mile-and-70-yard Armed Forces on Tapeta while going long for the first time Nov. 4.
“I don’t think he’s run a bad race since going long, other than the race he got pushed to a half in 45 (seconds),” said Cohen, referring to a late-fading sixth in the 7 ½-furlong Pulpit Dec. 9. “He has sprint speed, but he definitely wants to go further the way he trains. Honestly, I’d like to see him go even further.”
Prevent, rated 8-1 on the morning-line, will break from the rail post position while facing 10 rivals, including Zingales Racing Stable LLC and RM18 Stable LLC’s Salvattore Prince, the 3-1 morning-line favorite. Salvattore Prince, who had experienced troubled starts in three races in a row, got away cleanly in his last start, finishing third in the 7 ½-furlong Cutler Bay in his turf debut. The Jose D’Angelo-trained son of Street Sense will be ridden by Edgar Perez for the first time Saturday.
Trainer George Weaver entered a pair of 3-year-olds in the English Channel, R.A. Hill Stable’s Please Advise (4-1) and Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Time Song (9-2). Please Advise will make his 2024 debut after capturing the six-furlong Atlantic Beach Stakes on turf at Aqueduct Nov. 4. Time Song graduated in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race on turf in his 2024 debut at Gulfstream. Joe Bravo has the call on Please Advise, a son of Palace Malice, while Edwin Gonzalez has mount aboard Time Song, a son of Not This Time.
Gary Barber’s In a Jam, who won back-to-back starts at Gulfstream before finishing fourth in the Columbia at Tampa Bay last time out, is rated at 7-2. Trained by Mark Casse, the son of Preservationist will be ridden by Leonel Reyes.
Gandolfi Stables’ Sentenza, Echo Page Racing Corp.’s Freedom Principle, Ken Reimer’s Ehsaan, Alex Andres LLC’s Dancing Groom, Just for Fun Stable Inc.’s Brawn and Donald Ming’s Ninja Star round out the field.