HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It was early on the 2024 Florida Derby day card at Gulfstream Park when a then-unraced 3-year-old named Mindframe burst onto the scene with scintillating 13 3-4/-length debut victory. Ten weeks later, Mindframe, in just his third career start, came within a half-length of winning the Belmont Stakes, losing to longshot Dornoch. Following another runner-up finish to Dornoch in the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park in July, Mindframe was sidelined with bone bruising, putting an end to an exciting, if unfulfilling, 3-year-old season. Saturday, on Fountain of Youth day at Gulfstream Park, Mindframe makes his 4-year-old debut in the Grade 2, $215,000 Gulfstream Park Mile, hoping to kickstart a campaign blossoming with possibilities. “We’re excited to have him back,” Todd Pletcher, Mindframe’s trainer, told Gulfstream Park publicity. “He obviously had a big year last year and accomplished a lot in a short period of time. He showed he’s one of the most talented of his generation, so we’re happy to get him going.” :: Get Gulfstream Park Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the Clocker Team. Available every race day. Mindframe, a son of Constitution, has worked eight times at Palm Beach Downs since he returned to Pletcher late last year. That includes a five-furlong move in 59.84 seconds, a work he did in company with Speak Easy, who is entered in an allowance race earlier on Saturday’s card. “He’s a very talented horse and does things very easily,” Pletcher said of Mindframe. “He’s had a pretty steady series of breezes. He’s just kind of built up from week to week and is coming off a pretty strong couple of five-eighths [works]. Hopefully we have him ready enough to run well here and then keep him moving forward for the rest of the year.” Mindframe will break from the rail under John Velazquez in this nine-horse field. The major threat to Mindframe would seem to be Encino, who at 3 won the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park and the Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland. He was then pointing to the Kentucky Derby before a soft-tissue injury diagnosed after his pre-Derby workout sidelined him for the remainder of the year. Encino, a son of Nyquist, made a successful return to the races on Jan. 16, winning a third-level allowance going 1 1/16 miles at Fair Grounds. “I felt like he probably needed the race last time,” trainer Brad Cox said. “He carries a good bit of weight. I could say maybe he was getting a little tired late, but obviously the horse showed his class and stayed up for the win. I think he got a lot out of it.” Luis Saez rides Encino from post 3. Secret Chat finished third behind Lightning Tones in the Sunshine Classic going 1 1/16 miles around two turns here on Jan. 11. The cutback to a one-turn mile may better suit Secret Chat, who is drawn on the outside in this nine-horse field. Lightning Tones, 1 for 4 at a mile, is drawn in post 8. The cutback should also suit Steal Sunshine, who won this race last year as the 3-2 favorite. He comes into this year’s running off a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at 1 1/8 miles. Awesome Train, Shaq Diesel, Counterspy, and Lure Him In complete the field. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.