Eleven older turfers line up in a contentious renewal of the GII Ft. Lauderdale S. at Gulfstream Saturday. Grade I winner Lochte (Medaglia d'Oro) gets the morning line nod at 3-1 off a three-race win streak. The Marcus Vitali pupil sports a 9-5-0-1 record at this venue–including a noteworthy upset of the 2014 GI Gulfstream Park Turf H.–and appears to have returned to his best form since shipping down from Monmouth to South Florida. An easy winner of the local Mr. Steele S. Sept. 27, the Crossed Sabres Farm colorbearer added Gulfstream Park West's Spider John S. Oct. 25 and the GIII Tropical Turf H. in a driving rain by open lengths Nov. 21. “He's definitely on the improve,” Vitali offered. “He's doing good; he's doing everything right. The exercise rider said he's stronger than ever… He loves it in Florida. I've always said he's a horse for the course. He's always done better in South Florida.” Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' War Correspondent (War Front) makes his first start since finishing third in last March's GIII Appleton S. here. Purchased from breeder Joe Allen after a successful Stateside debut in a Monmouth optional claimer in September of 2014, the bay just missed behind Lukes Alley (Flower Alley) in the GII Autumn S. on the Woodbine Polytrack two months later. He was third in last February's renewal of the GP Turf H. before his score in the Appleton, and was scratched from last month's El Prado S. in favor of this spot. The speedy Heart to Heart (English Channel) is very dangerous when left alone up front, and he has every chance go get loose in this one. The Brian Lynch trainee controlled things and kept on going in Monmouth's GIII Oceanport S. Aug. 2, but faded over yielding Keeneland sod in the GI Shadwell Turf Mile S. Oct. 3. He bounced back in a big way last time, annexing Churchill's GIII River City H. Nov. 26 while earning a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure.
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