A few horses who have been running at Gulfstream Park have come to Tampa Bay Downs seeking class relief on Wednesday in a second-level allowance/optional $32,000 claiming feature scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on turf. Space Runner, a 4-year-old Florida-bred gelding by Brody’s Cause trained by Jose D’Angelo, has only raced twice this year with third-place finishes in two allowance races run over Gulfstream’s Tapeta surface. His Oct. 21 race was quite good as he got shuffled back to last of 10 and made a bid between horses to finish a half-length behind front-running winner The Best Distance. Tiz Romantic, who finished a head in front of Space Runner, came back to win his next start, beating Space Runner a second time. Tiz Romantic returned to run a good second at Gulfstream last Saturday. D’Angelo said that Space Runner was off for most of 2023 due to having two splint bone injuries at the same time. D’Angelo believes that Space Runner can be more effective on the turf. “On the grass, he can make his kick better than Tapeta. That’s why I think he can be better on Wednesday,” D’Angelo said. Miguel Vasquez is named to ride Space Runner from post 6. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Elon’s Prince had some minor issues that has limited him to just three starts this year. He was a two-time listed stakes winner at Gulfstream in the summer of 2021. “It’s been stop and go with him for a little while,” Joseph said. “We’re trying to get a win and hopefully get some confidence in him. That’s the main reason to go to Tampa. Hopefully the class relief can help him and put him back in the winner’s circle.” Trainer Terri Pompay has Smart Striker based at Tampa after he finished third and then fifth in two stakes tries over Gulfstream’s Tapeta surface this fall. His last start on turf came at Colonial Downs, where he beat next-out winner Anamnestic. The horse to beat is American Unity, a 5-year-old gelding by Munnings who officially brings a five-race winning streak into this race for trainer Jamie Ness in the mid-Atlantic region. Ness also sends out Nautilus, who is in for the $32,000 claiming price and is a seven-time winner, but winless on turf. O’Connell off to hot start Kathleen O’Connell has gotten off to a hot start at the Tampa meet with eight wins from 23 starts since the meet began Nov. 22. In addition to her two wins Saturday, O’Connell also had three seconds, including Dream Concert, a 3-year-old filly who was beaten a neck by the 7-year-old Bluefield in the $100,000 FTBOA City of Ocala Stakes. “She ran a huge race. She’s been a dream horse to have, a picture of consistency,” O’Connell said. “Sometimes they deserve to win, but she’s a young horse, [Bluefield] is a much older horse. I was proud of her effort.” O’Connell’s two winners on Saturday came with My Favorite Topic and Toodaloo Y’all, who actually finished second but got put up due to the disqualification of first-place Miss Unconcerned, who bumped with Toodaloo Y’all in the stretch. Poiema, beaten just three-quarters of a length when second to favored Dreaming of Snow in an allowance race, impressed O’Connell because she stumbled at the start and was not able to attain her typical forward position. “I was happy, she showed a new dimension,” O’Connell said. “Antonio [Gallardo], whose ridden for me for years, did a great job going to plan B when plan A couldn’t be executed.” O’Connell hopes to keep her successful start going on Wednesday, when she has three horses entered, though Mosler’s Image is three-deep on the also-eligible list for race 7. One Violent Affair returns to turf in a $25,000 maiden claimer that goes as race 3, while Samaritano, a 3-year-old gelding, drops to his lowest level yet in a $16,000 claiming race for non-winners of two. The one-mile turf race is the last of nine on the card. :: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures “Samaritano is coming off a layoff,” O’Connell said. “He showed promise, but he’s got a lot of issues. He always seems to try so we’re hoping the drop will help. [One Violent Affair] has been a little bit of a disappointment. She showed more in the morning than she’s shown in the afternoon. We’re hoping a little relief in company and the turf will help.” Bluefield may run back quick Bluefield, who at age 7 won her first stakes when she beat Dream Concert by a neck in Saturday’s FTBOA City of Ocala Stakes, may wheel back in the Grade 3, $125,000 Sugar Swirl at Gulfstream on Dec. 23, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “It’s back quick, we’ll play it by ear,” Joseph said. “We were originally going to go straight there, but this race came and she was the favorite, so why pass on it?” Despite free nominations, there were only eight fillies and mares nominated to the six-furlong Sugar Swirl. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.