By Christie DeBernardis
'TDN Rising Star' Speed Franco (Declaration of War), winner fo the GIII Dania Beach S. last time, looks to score his second straight graded victory at Gulfstream in Saturday's GIII Palm Beach S. The $170,000 KEESEP buy crossed the wire first on debut here in September, but was disqualified and placed second. Earning the 'Rising Star' nod for his six-length graduation in the Pulpit S. Dec. 9, the bay checked in sixth behind MGSW Flameaway (Scat Daddy) in the local Kitten's Joy S. Jan. 6 and forged past fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Frankel {GB}) late to take the Dania Beach Feb. 3.
Oak Bluff Stables' undefeated Therapist (Freud) makes his seasonal bow in this spot for trainer Christophe Clement and will be receiving Lasix for the first time. A debut winner sprinting against fellow NY-breds at Belmont in July, the homebred captured the grassy Laurel Futurity S. next out Sept. 16 and won the one-mile Awad S. back on the Elmont lawn when last seen Oct. 28.
Fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Hawkish (Artie Schiller) steps up into stakes company off an ultra-impressive late-running graduation going a mile over this course in his Jan. 6 career bow. Another runner of interest is Pulpit and GIII Pilgrim S. third-place finisher Maraud (Blame), who enters off a course-and-distance optional claimer victory for trainer Todd Pletcher Jan. 13.
“He's doing well,” Pletcher said. “He's coming off a nice allowance win here so we've kind of zeroed in on this spot for quite a while. He's training well. He had a good breeze [Saturday, covering a half-mile in :50 2/5 at Palm Beach Downs].”
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