HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Mark Casse has had a great meet, but he didn’t have much luck at the post draw with several of his runners entered in turf stakes Saturday at Gulfstream Park. In the $165,000 Appleton Stakes, at one mile, Casse brings Ice Chocolat back to the races off a near 10-month layoff. The 7-year-old Brazilian-bred gelding drew the outside post in an 11-horse field for his first start since he won the Grade 3 Poker at Saratoga last June 8. Casse didn’t like the way Ice Chocolat was doing leading up to the Grade 1 Fourstardave last August so he backed off and gave him the remainder of the year off. Casse had Ice Chocolat entered in an allowance race here on March 5 but scratched him when the race came off the turf and was run over Gulfstream’s Tapeta track. :: Play Gulfstream Park with confidence! DRF Past Performances, Picks, and Clocker Reports available now. “Tough task coming off a long layoff with an outside post,” said Casse, who entered Thursday’s card with 34 wins at the winter meet. “Looking for a good effort and hopefully a move forward from that.” Last winter, Ice Chocolat won a one-mile allowance from post 10 before finishing third in the Grade 3 Canadian and seventh, beaten 1 3/4 lengths, in the Appleton. Seminole Chief has raised his game since trainer Jack Sisterson moved him to turf earlier this meet. He finished third behind the Grade 1 winner Atone in an allowance/optional-claiming race on Jan. 25 before winning a second-level allowance here on March 1. In his victory, Seminole Chief ran .05 slower than did Fort Washington the same day winning the Grade 3 Canadian Turf, but his Beyer Speed Figure was eight points lower. “We feel he’s a horse that’s only improved after each start,” Sisterson said. Dylan Davis will sub for the injured Tyler Gaffalione, Sisterson said. Major Dude has recorded 97 Beyer Speed Figures in three consecutive graded stakes at this meet. In this spot, he is cutting back to a mile, a distance at which he is 1 for 7, with the win coming in the Penn Mile as a 3-year-old in 2023. Sanibel Island Casse has won all three stakes run for 3-year-old fillies on turf at this meet but is going to his bench with the three runners he entered in the $165,000 Sanibel Island at 7 1/2 furlongs. Casse said he is likely to scratch It’s Witchcraft and run just Classic Q and Candy Quest. Classic Q, who drew post 10, finished a narrowly beaten fourth to stablemate Vixen in the Herecomesthebride four weeks ago. She was a bit keen early and blocked behind horses approaching the quarter pole before splitting horses late. “If she breaks better, she maybe wins,” Casse said. “When she broke her maiden she was extremely impressive, that’s why I felt comfortable running back in a stakes. She had a couple of excuses and got beat a [half-length]. Now, she has to overcome an extremely tough post going 7 1/2 at Gulfstream, but she’s got a lot of ability.” Candy Quest is coming off an allowance win when stretched out around two turns for the first time. She will break from the rail. “She has a much better post position [than Classic Q],” Casse said. “I think both those fillies will run very well.” Mrs Worldwide, beaten a neck in the Herecomesthebride in her first start on turf; Love Cervere, runner-up to Nitrogen in the Ginger Brew earlier this meet; and Civetta, who won the Wait a While going 7 1/2 furlongs here last November, are other contenders in this field. Sand Springs Another contender with a tough post in a turf stakes is In Our Time, who has the outside draw in a 12-horse field in the $165,000 Sand Springs for older females at 1 1/16 miles. In Our Time always seems to have an outside post. She overcame it to win the Cellars Shiraz in November. She has three other stakes placings this meet from outside draws. “In Our time draws wide every single time but she’s a deserving favorite,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. Joseph also sends out Be My Sunshine, who is 0 for 8 since winning the Tropical Park Oaks here in December 2023. Joseph is adding blinkers to Be My Sunshine for the first time Saturday. “She hangs and hangs and hangs, hopefully the blinkers will help her,” Joseph said. “She was phenomenal in the blinkers last week and she gets Irad [Ortiz Jr.] which will help huge.” Joseph also entered Movin’ On Up, a second-level allowance winner here two weeks ago, and Blind Spot, who looks a bit overmatched. Breath Away, Buttercream Babe, and Vina Arana are also interesting in this spot. Army Mule Inveigled (14-1) upset Knightsbridge (1-5) in a second-level allowance race going one mile here on Feb. 25. The two meet again in the $165,000 Army Mule Stakes at seven furlongs, a distance at which Knightsbridge won a first-level allowance by nine lengths here last March. Inveigled benefited from a perfect trip under Paco Lopez while Knightsbridge, in his first start since October, was involved in a speed duel with Flying Liam until the sixteenth pole. This will be the first time Knightsbridge has run back in a six-week span. He has had four months or more between his previous starts. Joel Rosario will ride Knightsbridge, replacing the injured Junior Alvarado. Implementation, second in the Grade 3 Fred Hooper on Jan. 25, finished third in this race last year when it was known as the Sir Shackleton. Gordian Knot was third in the Gulfstream Park Sprint in his first start off a four-month layoff and first for trainer Todd Pletcher. Cutler Bay A change of equipment and surface seemed to move up Classic of Course, who fell a head short when second in a 1 1/16-mile allowance over Tapeta on Feb. 6. Saturday, Classic of Course will make his turf debut in the $165,000 Cutler Bay Stakes at 7 1/2 furlongs. Classic of Course was equipped with blinkers for that allowance, and after sitting a nice inside trip, he split horses nicely and just lost a bob while finishing 8 3/4 lengths clear of the field. “The blinkers help the rider to be in better position,” trainer Patrick Biancone said. “He doesn’t have to be that far back.” Biancone said Frankie Dettori will ride Classic of Course, replacing Junior Alvarado who was injured on Sunday. Hit That Review was second to Mi Bago in the Pulpit Stakes going this distance here in November before finishing fifth behind that same rival in the Dania Beach, which was rained off the turf and run on Tapeta. Forged Steel, fourth in the Colonel Liam Stakes on March 1, will have to overcome the outside post in this nine-horse field. He is getting a rider switch to Irad Ortiz Jr. “Last time he was a little farther back than he wants to be,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “He needs to be on or close to the lead. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.