A Gulfstream Park turf pick for May 14

Thursday’s program at Gulfstream Park features an interesting maiden race on turf for 3-year-old fillies. We'll focus on the sixth race on today's 10-race Gulfstream card.

An overflow of 16, including four also-eligible runners, has been entered for the 1 1/16-mile grass affair, and some high-profile barns will be represented. Mark Casse and Todd Pletcher each have a pair in the main body in the field, and Christophe Clement will saddle the 2-1 morning line favorite.

#4 So Darn Hot will switch to turf for trainer George Weaver, following a rallying third in her debut March 22. Purchased for $600,000 at a 2-year-old sale in June, she is by solid turf sire Ghostzapper, whose offspring win at 10% rate in their first start on turf. So Darn Hot is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Come Dancing, who has raced exclusively on dirt, but both fillies are closely related to turf stakes winner Skipalute.

So Darn Hot showed some quality to get up for third, following a slow start last time out. The bay filly faced a solid field in a one-turn mile, with the winning Pleasant Orb entered back in Friday’s Hollywood Wildcat S., and So Darn Hot appears built to relish the stretch out to two turns.

Weaver is winning at 33% rate at Gulfstream since late November (13 for 40), and maiden special weight races have been his specialty. In his last two attempts, Weaver has won with Competitive Saint (6-1) and Ever Dangerous (14-1), and he has a 3-1-1 record (including So Darn Hot’s third) from the last five starts.

So Darn Hot is eligible to keep improving for Weaver in her second outing, and a couple of main rivals drew poorly, toward the outside of the starting gate. She should be able to save ground from post 4 and launch her move with Joe Bravo.

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