Six Rivals Line Up to Contest Grade 3 Hal's Hope

Mshawish (8/5) tried dirt for the first time in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile November 28 and wasn’t disgraced while finishing fourth. Top trainer Todd Pletcher opts for the main track again, which is a positive indicator as this six year-old vet is well-proven on the grass and could have been entered in the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale later on card.

Matrooh back after third in Cigar Mile

Matrooh is the second choice at 9/5 in the one mile event while breaking from the rail. The Chad Brown trainee finished third last-out in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile and could be viewed as the one to beat based on his recent form and affinity for the Gulfstream dirt where he won in his lone try over the surface in March. Matrooh projects as a stalking or closing threat and will need a well-timed move from jockey Irad Ortiz.

Valid loves Gulfstream Park

Valid (3/1) brings plenty of early zip and has run consistently well over his career at Gulfstream. The Marcus Vitalli trainee has won a third of his 33 career starts and rebounded nicely from a fifth-place effort in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile to win the Harlan’s Holiday Stakes December 12 at Gulfstream. Valid will break from post 4 with Luis Saez in the irons and should benefit from being the controlling speed in a small field.