Sharp Azteca to Face Elders at Gulfstream Park

After earning his first grade 1 placing when second in the seven-furlong Malibu Stakes in his final start of 2016, Sharp Azteca will return to the one-turn mile in the $350,000 Hardacre Mile Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2) Feb. 11.

In his sophomore season of 2016, Sharp Azteca raced exclusively against other 3-year-olds, winning the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs and the seven-furlong City of Laurel Stakes at Laurel Park. In the Malibu at Santa Anita Park, Gelfenstein Farm's Sharp Azteca opened a clear lead in the stretch before being caught late by winner Mind Your Biscuits.

Sharp Azteca is perfect in three starts at the one-turn mile, with his win in last year's Pat Day at Churchill and a pair of scores at the distance at Gulfstream, taking a maiden special in February 2016 followed by an allowance score in April.

A son of Freud  , Sharp Azteca will make his 4-year-old season debut off of three straight bullet works since Jan. 21 at Gulfstream Park West for trainer Jorge Navarro.

"This is the best I've seen him. He's matured a lot. He should run pretty good," Navarro said. "He's been training good and he came out of his last race really good. We pointed him for this race. We'll try to keep him a one-turn mile. I think that's going to be his best distance."

Navarro liked how Sharp Azteca handled the travel to Southern California last year for the Malibu and said he's improved since that effort.

"We took him to California and nothing seemed to bother him. He was eating good after the race and training really good for the race," Navarro said. "He put on weight, and he looks like a stallion. He's a 4-year-old now and he's a beautiful-looking animal.

"I think California did him really good. ... He's been doing everything nice and easy. I'm expecting a big race from him."

Sharp Azteca is using Saturday's race as a prep to the $1 million Godolphin Mile (G2) March 25 at Meydan Racecourse as a precursor to the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) June 10 at Belmont Park.

"He is 100% [going] to the mile in Dubai. It all depends on how he runs (Saturday)," Navarro said. "Dubai came up because our main goal is the Met Mile, so after this race we have nothing else for him. Why not take the chance?"

Among Sharp Azteca's eight rivals in the Gulfstream Park Handicap is a pair from championship meet-leading trainer Todd Pletcher, Tommy Macho and Zulu, both coming off open-length victories at Gulfstream.

Paul Pompa Jr. and J Stables' Tommy Macho romped by 5 3/4 lengths in the one-mile Hal's Hope Stakes (G3) Jan. 14, his first win in 11 months since taking the Fred Hooper Stakes (G3), also at a mile, last February.

"He's put together two huge races here going a mile so I think this race makes perfect sense," Pletcher said. "His win here last year and the way he ran the other day, those type of races put him in the very top of the mile division."

Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, and Stonestreet Stables' Zulu came off an extended gap between races to win the seven-furlong Tamarac Dec. 18, his first start in eight months. The effort made him three-for-four lifetime at Gulfstream including maiden and allowance wins last winter by 9 1/4 combined lengths, and he also ran third behind multiple graded stakes winner Mohaymen in the Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2).

"Zulu is doing really well. We've been pointing for this race since (the Tamarac)," Pletcher said. "He seems to be in good form. I think he's a horse that continues to improve."

Pletcher has won three of the last four runnings of the Gulfstream Park Handicap including last year with Blofeld, who returns to defend his title in his first start for trainer Rusty Arnold. A 5-year-old son of Quality Road  , Blofeld has not raced since running fifth of six in the Monmouth Cup (G2) July 31.