Promising 3-Year-Olds Featured in Friday’s Feature

Friday’s Rainbow 6 Pool Estimated at $300,000
Key West Goes to Fantasy Performer

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Eight 3-year-olds go to post in Friday’s featured Race 8, an $86,000 allowance event at seven furlongs on the main track.

Two colts who broke their maiden at first asking return in Confessional and Mob.

Confessional, trained by Brad Cox, won his debut Oct. 16 at Keeneland by three lengths. A $160,000 son of Essential Quality, Irad Ortiz Jr. is named to ride. Mob, a $560,000 son of Gun Runner trained by Brian Lynch, won by 1 ½ lengths Nov. 23 at Churchill Downs. Blame Yourself, another winner of his debut, returns for trainer Victor Barboza Jr., and jockey Junior Alvarado.

Vost, third in the Iroquois (G3), makes his first start since being pulled up in the Street Sense (G3). Nearly, a $350,000 son of Not This Time trained by Todd Pletcher, broke his maiden at second asking by 9 ¼ lengths Nov. 22. Into the Beast broke her maiden at Churchill Downs last time out for trainer Dale Romans in his third start. The colt is a $475,000 son of Into Mischief.

Friday’s Estimated Rainbow 6 Pool $300,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 has an estimated purse Friday of $300,000 and begins with Race 4, a maiden claimer for 4-year-olds and up with a 4-5 morning-line favorite in Nice Try Riley. Trained by Lisa Bartkowski, Nice Try Riley drops in class and comes in from New York.

Race 4 is scheduled at approximately 1:49 ET.

The Rainbow 6 sequence moves to the turf for Race 5, a mile event for non-winners of three. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount on the 8-5 favorite It’s Hot in Here. The 5-year-old mare, who moves to the barn of Nolan Ramsey, will make her first start since September of 2024. Reading Time (4-1) returns to the turf where her record is 2-0-1 in three starts. Races 6 and 7 are contested around two turns on the Tapeta, with heavy favorites in Paros (4-5) in Race 6 and Uncle’s Gold in Race 7.

Promising 3-year-olds go to post in Race 8 at seven furlongs on the main track, while the Rainbow 6 sequence concludes with 3-year-old fillies taking to the turf at 7 ½ furlongs in Race 9.

Key West Goes to Fantasy Performer

Fantasy Performer, owned by RAF Productions and trained by Kentucky Derby winning trainer Cam Gambolati, gamely regained the lead down the stretch to win the $100,000 Key West, covering 1 1/8-miles Tapeta course in 1:49.38.

Fantasy Performer led after a :48.68 half mile and held that lead until Charlie’s Wish raced past him shortly after entering the stretch. But Fantasy Performer rallied for jockey David Egan for the victory. Charlie’s Wish was second and For Flying third.

A 5-year-old mare by Oscar Performance, Fantasy Performer has three wins in 18 starts.

Egan also won the Cash Run aboard Haute Diva.

NOTES: Trainer Mark Casse started the year at Gulfstream with three winners. Casse won the Dania Beach with Alpyland ($9.80), the first race with Vanish ($7.40), and the fourth race with Souper Attentive ($12.80) … Jockey John Velazquez won aboard Alpyland and Souper Attentive … Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., won aboard Shape Note ($3.20) in the sixth and Double Neat ($4) in the seventh…