War of Will Stands Out in Sunshine Forever Field of 12

The $75,000 Sunshine Forever is not your typical spot to kick off the 4-year-old season of a Preakness Stakes (G1) winner, but 2020 is not a typical year.

The 1 1/16-mile turf test at Gulfstream Park on May 9 drew a field of 12, including main-track-only entry Just Whistle. Last year's Preakness winner, War of Will, stands out among the field of older horses, drawing the outside post.

The irony of the post position was not lost on Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, who laughed about some of the unlucky draws War of Will has had throughout his career—most notably post 1 in last year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

The son of War Front  owned by Gary Barber has not raced since a ninth-place finish in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in November. He has been training forwardly at Palm Meadows Training Center since the beginning of March. On April 18, he breezed a bullet four furlongs in :46.35 to be the fastest of 98 at the distance that day, and most recently he turned in another half-mile in :49 1/5 May 2.

"We purposely slowed him down in his last work. He's a great work horse, and he does it with such ease. His last grass work was amazing—not just what he did during the work but what he did after. He just took off afterwards," Casse said. "He's a happy horse right now.

"I think he's grown up. He looks wonderful. He's filled out. He's always been a beautiful horse. He was going long and hard for a long time. This was his first rest in some time. It did him well."

Though War of Will raced at the highest level on dirt last year, his 2-year-old season began on turf. He placed second that year to Fog of War by three-quarters of a length in the Summer Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine.

"When we went ahead and gave him the rest of the winter off, Gary and I talked about it and our goal for 2020 was to try to make him a grade 1 winner on the grass," Casse said, referencing the colt's résumé as a stallion prospect. "We had lots of plans, and then, of course, the coronavirus slowed things down. We had originally planned on trying to make the Shoemaker Mile."

Santa Anita Park has not had races since March 27 when the Los Angeles Department of Health ordered the Southern California track to close due to concerns related to the spread of COVID-19. The Shoemaker Mile (G1T), however, is still on the schedule for May 25. News also came Wednesday that Golden Gate Fields to the north will be allowed to proceed with racing behind closed doors May 14.

"We just don't know if Santa Anita is going to run. We're going to have to make a decision," Casse said. "If it were to look like there was a good chance that Santa Anita is going to run and there is going to be a Shoemaker Mile, we may scratch and go out to California with him, so it's still a little up in the air. … Right now, I'd say there's a good shot we're going to run (in the Sunshine Forever)."

Regular rider Tyler Gaffalione is slated to ride Saturday.

Whether War of Will is among the field or not, there are two others who will figure into the outcome—Sam-Son Farm's homebred El Tormenta and the Elkstone Group's Social Paranoia. Both were given the highweight of 126 pounds.

El Tormenta fared well last season at Woodbine, taking the Cannaught Cup Stakes (G2T) in June and then earning a top-level score in the Ricoh Woodine Mile Stakes (G1T) in September before finishing sixth in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T).

But the Stormy Atlantic  gelding trained by Gail Cox was a disappointing 12th in the March 28 Appleton Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park in his season debut. In fact, all four of his wins have come at Woodbine.

On the other hand, Social Paranoia won the Appleton off a six-month layoff.

The Street Boss  colt trained by Todd Pletcher placed second or third in all five of his 2-year-old efforts before finally breaking his maiden in his sophomore debut at Gulfstream. He went on to finish third in two graded stakes before a runner-up finish in the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T). He ended 2019 with a score in the Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs.

Pletcher also entered last year's Tropical Park Derby winner, Halladay.

Entries: Sunshine Forever S.

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, May 09, 2020, Race 9

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $75,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:59 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Just Whistle (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Michael R. Matz	8/1
2	2Sand Dancer (KY)	Marcos Meneses	118	Timothy A. Hills	20/1
3	3El Tormenta (ON)	Dylan Davis	126	Gail Cox	12/1
4	4Aquaphobia (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	123	Michael J. Maker	10/1
5	5Cullum Road (KY)	Joe Bravo	118	Ignacio Correas, IV	20/1
6	6Halladay (KY)	Luis Saez	123	Todd A. Pletcher	4/1
7	7Hawkish (KY)	Emisael Jaramillo	121	James J. Toner	10/1
8	8Regally Irish (NJ)	Rajiv Maragh	118	H. Graham Motion	20/1
9	9Social Paranoia (KY)	Edgard J. Zayas	126	Todd A. Pletcher	3/1
10	10Highland Sky (KY)	Miguel Angel Vasquez	123	Barclay Tagg	15/1
11	11Admission Office (KY)	Joel Rosario	118	Brian A. Lynch	5/2
12	12War of Will (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	121	Mark E. Casse	10/1