Island Commish Returns From Layoff in English Channel

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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson
Island Commish wins the Kitten's Joy Stakes at Gulfstream Park

Matthew Schera's Island Commish, unraced since extending his win streak to three races in the Kitten's Joy Stakes (G3) Jan. 4, returns to action in the $75,000 English Channel Stakes, one of three stakes May 2 at Gulfstream Park.

The 1 1/16-mile turf race is accompanied by the $100,000 Big Drama for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up at seven furlongs and $75,000 Honey Ryder for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on the grass on the 12- race program. Eleven other turf entries are in the English Channel, plus one main-track-only runner, with the opposition headed by South Bend, Proven Strategies, and Summer to Remember.

Based at Gulfstream with trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., Island Commish has worked five times on the main track since mid-March, including a half-mile breeze in :47.49 April 26, the fifth-fastest of 112 horses. Before his workouts in March, an illness cost Island Commish a chance to come back on the Feb. 17 Presidents Day program of starter stakes during Gulfstream's championship meet.

"I think in general he'll be OK. I don't think he'll be at his best off a layoff, but I think he's training well enough that it's time to get him started and see where we're at," Joseph said. "It's nice that it's here at home, so we don't have to ship anywhere."

Island Commish has never raced beyond 7 1/2 furlongs, finishing third in the 2019 Proud Man Stakes last summer at Gulfstream and winning a pair of starter races on the Gulfstream Park West turf in the fall before returning to Gulfstream to kick off his sophomore campaign with a half-length score in the Kitten's Joy.

It was the first time facing graded competition for Island Commish, thanks in part to the urging of jockey Paco Lopez, who was aboard for all three races during his win streak. Lopez is named to ride Saturday, his first day back in action since injuring his thumb April 11.

"He's gotten better and better every race, and putting him on the turf has definitely helped him. He's a better horse on the turf," Joseph said. "I have to give Paco a lot of credit. The first time he rode him, he had a lot of confidence in him. That was one of the reasons we actually took a shot, because Paco was talking so highly of him."

Island Commish, by multiple graded stakes winner and 2014 Belmont Stakes (G1) runner-up Commissioner , was purchased privately by Schera when the colt showed improved form last year.

"Anytime you go into unknown territory, it's always a big ask, but I feel like he should be able to get a mile and a sixteenth, especially at Gulfstream, which suits speed on the turf," Joseph said.

Island Commish drew post 10 and is co-highweight at 124 pounds.

Sagamore Farm's South Bend, a juvenile stakes winner on dirt, seeks his first turf victory after three close calls since being moved to the grass by trainer Stanley Hough.

South Bend was third, beaten a neck by subsequent grade 3 winner Field Pass, in the one-mile Dania Beach Stakes, contested on a good turf course Feb. 1. He was third, 1 1/2 lengths behind grade 1-placed Vitalogy, in the 1 1/16-mile Palm Beach Stakes (G3) Feb. 29, and he was most recently second in the one-mile Cutler Bay Stakes March 28, 1 1/4 lengths behind Christophe Clement-trained grade 1 winner Decorated Invader.

"He seemed to have a turf action to him," Hough said of South Bend, who opened his 2020 season running fourth to Chance It in the one-mile Mucho Macho Man Stakes Jan. 4 on the Gulfstream dirt. "The first time I ran him here at Gulfstream this year, he couldn't get hold of the racetrack. I do think he'll run better on the dirt than he did that day. He just never got into it, and he was able to pass a few horses there at the end, but not how you would like.

"Then he went to the grass, and he ran a really good race, finished third, and didn't get beat very far. I think the mile and a sixteenth is going to be a little better for him. The race before last, he kind of got off bad and came running. Last time he just got beat by a very nice horse."

Miguel Vasquez is named to ride from post 7 at 122 pounds.

Leonard Green, Jonathan Green, and Empire Racing Club's Proven Strategies, like Island Commish, is also riding a winning streak. The Sky Mesa  colt broke his maiden impressively going one mile March 4 and was a frontrunning 3 3/4-length optional claiming allowance winner over his elders at the English Channel distance April 5, both at Gulfstream.

Proven Strategies went winless in five starts at 2, finishing second in the Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga. Last year, he was beaten two lengths when fourth to Decorated Invader in the Summer Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine and also when sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America (G1T).

"He's doing great. I think he's really grown up," trainer Mark Casse said. "I thought he ran well in the Breeders' Cup. He only got beat a couple lengths. We brought him home, gave him a little time at our training center, and he's just flourished since then."

Dylan Davis has the call on Proven Strategies from post 8 at 120 pounds.

Waterford Stable's Summer to Remember sandwiched an optional claiming allowance victory going 1 1/16 miles Feb. 9 between a third in the Kitten's Joy and a fourth in the Cutler Bay Stakes for trainer Todd Pletcher, who also trained the stake's namesake during his career. Both of Summer to Remember's wins have come on the Gulfstream turf, including a maiden score Dec. 11.

Post time for the English Channel, the last of Saturday's three stakes at Gulfstream, is 5:57 p.m. ET.


Entries: English Channel S.

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, May 02, 2020, Race 11

  • STK
  • 1 1/16m
  • Turf
  • $75,000
  • 3 yo
  • 5:57 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Express Pharoah (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Leonel Reyes 120 Alexis Delgado 20/1
2 2Justinthenickotime (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Emisael Jaramillo 120 Michael J. Maker 20/1
3 3Doc Boy (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joe Bravo 124 Michael Stidham 12/1
4 4Gufo (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Christophe Clement 3/1
5 5Buy Me Candy (KY) Chris Landeros 120 Ignacio Correas, IV 20/1
6 6Summer to Remember (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Luis Saez 120 Todd A. Pletcher 9/2
7 7South Bend (KY) Miguel Angel Vasquez 122 Stanley M. Hough 4/1
8 8Proven Strategies (FL) Dylan Davis 120 Mark E. Casse 6/1
9 9Don Juan Kitten (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Tyler Gaffalione 120 Danny Gargan 15/1
10 10Island Commish (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Paco Lopez 124 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 8/1
11 11Fame to Famous (KY) Santiago Gonzalez 120 John P. Mc Allen 30/1
12 12Ever Dangerous (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Edgard J. Zayas 120 George Weaver 10/1
13 13Extraordinary (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Luis Saez 120 Rodolphe Brisset 5/2