Ami's Flatter Heads Fred W. Hooper Stakes

Ivan Dalos' Ami's Flatter is scheduled to follow up an auspicious recent 2016 debut in Saturday's $100,000 Fred W. Hooper Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park.

The 4-year-old son of Flatter  's victorious return from a six-month layoff came in an allowance race at Gulfstream Jan. 13, but the manner in which he scored by a dominating four lengths ranks among the most outstanding performances of the Championship Meet regardless of race status.

The Josie Carroll trainee pressed the pace of the seven-furlong sprint before powerfully drawing away to victory in a swift 1:21.59 over a 'good' track.

"I expected this horse to come back and run well. He had been training exceptionally well," Carroll said, "but performances like that always surprise you."

Not that a strong performance was outside his range of ability. The Ontario-bred colt finished second in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes and third in the Florida Derby (gr. I) last season during a 2015 campaign that concluded with two off-the-board finishes on Woodbine's Polytrack surface, including an eighth-place finish in the $1 million Queen's Plate on July 5.

"We were on the (Kentucky) Derby trail, but it didn't look like he was going to peak at the right time to compete with those horses, so we switched focus to the Queen's Plate," Carroll said. "By that time, he was tired and had some bruising on the ends of his cannon bones we found out about later. Nothing serious. After two mediocre performances, we took a look at this horse and sent him for a scan. He just wasn't himself and that's when we found out about the bruising on the cannon bones."

Ami's Flatter returned for his 2016 season in peak form under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who'll once again be aboard for the somewhat quick turnaround in the Hooper.

"We weren't sure whether to come back quite this quickly, but he bounced out of the race very well," Carroll said. "So it seems like this race is the logical race to go in."

Trainer Todd Pletcher entered a pair of horses in the Hooper: Paul Pompa Jr.'s Tommy Macho and Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Stonestreet Stable's Stanford.

Tommy Macho was also being considered for Saturday's $500,000 Donn Handicap (gr. I) on Gulfstream Park's seven-stakes portion of a 13-race program.

"I talked to Paul Pompa and he said, 'You know, it's his first race of the year. Let's go a little shorter distance in not an easier race, but not as deep,'" Pletcher said.

Tommy Macho has won three of eight career starts, including a 4 1/4-length triumph in the Discovery (gr. III) at Aqueduct Racetrack Nov. 11. The 4-year-old son of Macho Uno   most recently finished second behind Donn entrant Financial Modeling in the Queens County Stakes over Aqueduct's inner track Dec. 19.

"He showed some signs at times last year that he has some big races in him. I like physically what he's done from 3 to 4," Pletcher said. "We're hoping to see some continued improvement from him. With some improvement I think he could develop into a good handicap horse this year."

Stanford won an allowance race at Gulfstream last season and hasn't started since finishing eighth in the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga Race Course July 31.

Honors Stable Corp.'s Wildcat Red is slated to stretch out from six furlongs to a one-turn mile Saturday after chasing winner X Y Jet's blistering pace in a gutsy second-place finish in the Sunshine Millions Sprint at Gulfstream Jan. 16.

"He's doing great. After his last race, he's been training better than ever," trainer Jose Garoffalo said. "The one-turn mile is better for him. He's got the speed but at the time he's got some consistency. It's not too long and it's not too fast. The in-between distance is better for him."

The 5-year-old son of D'wildcat was among the leading 3-year-olds in 2014 at Gulfstream, where he captured the Hutcheson (gr. III) and Fountain of Youth (gr. II) and finished a close second in the Florida Derby.

Jacks or Better Farm's Grande Shores, who finished second in the Mr. Prospector (gr. III) and third in the Hal's Hope (gr. III), is set for a return run in the Hooper after finishing second, a neck behind Valid, in last year's edition.

Thoroughbred Acquisition Group and Saffie Joseph's Saraguaro, Great Hill Stables' Morning Calm and ABL Stable and partners' Just Call Kenny round out the eight-horse field.