L’Imperator Luke Warm in Ft. Lauderdale
Photo: TheFreePPs.com
Madaket Stables LLC and Wonder Stable trainee L’Imperator, a last out winner at Aqueduct in an optional claiming race for NW2X, will step back into graded company to contest the $200,000 G2 Ft. Lauderdale in today’s feature Race of the Day at Gulfstream.
The 4-year-old French bred son of Holy Roman Emperor made his first stateside appearance last August in the 1 mile G3 Saranac at Saratoga finishing seventh over soft going.
Trained by Chad Brown, he took a next out $100,000 NW3X optional claiming race over Saratoga’s inner turf course at today’s distance.
This will be his fourth attempt to advance from optional claiming success into graded company since the Saranac. And the first time jockey John Velasquez will get the leg up on the likely post time favorite.
L’Imperator will open at 5-2 in the Ft. Lauderdale.
Space Traveller Drops in Class
Space Traveller, who has drawn widest of all in the 12 horse field, will open as the second choice at 3-1.
Like L’Imperator, he started his career in Europe. He made his U.S. debut last summer starting three times in G1 company and will likely appreciate the drop in class. But the 5-year-old son of Bated Breath, who was a “high-class sprinter” in Great Britain for Juddmonte Farms, will find the added distance here to be less than advantageous.
Post time for the Ft. Lauderdale is scheduled for 4:32 PM ET.
