Lure Him In Looking to Make the Grade in G3 Harlan’s Holiday
Four Stakes Worth $450,000 on First Weekend of New Year

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – International star jockey Oisin Murphy, who is making Gulfstream Park his home base through January, will be joined by British jockey David Egan this weekend.

The Irish-born 24-year-old jockey is named to ride Kingmax in Saturday’s $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) and Crispy Cat in Sunday’s $100,000 Janus Stakes. Both horses are trained by Jorge Delgado for London football agent and businessman Kia Joorabchian’s AMO Racing USA.

Egan hasn’t ridden in the U.S. since finishing third on Teona in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at Del Mar.

Egan was the British champion apprentice in 2017.

From 2019 to 2022, he rode under contract to Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal, for whom he rode Mishriff to victories in the 2021 Saudi Cup (G1) and Dubai Sheema Classic (G1).

Egan won European Classics aboard Roger Varian-trained Eldar Eldarov in the 2022 St. Leger (G1) and the 2023 Irish St. Leger (G1).

Egan’s father, John, is a jockey and his mother, Sandra Hughes, trained 2015 Irish Grand National winner Thunder and Roses.

Lure Him In Looking to Make the Grade in G3 Harlan’s Holiday

Double B Racing Stables’ Lure Him In, a winner first off the claim in his return to dirt last month, takes a jump up in class when the 6-year-old gelding faces 10 rivals in the $150,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The 1 1/16-mile Harlan’s Holiday for 3-year-olds and up, the local prep for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 27, is one of four stakes, three graded, worth $600,000 in purses on the final Saturday program of the 2023 calendar year.

Lure Him In became a stakes winner in the 2022 Sunshine Turf at Gulfstream, rained off the grass and contested at 1 1/8 miles on the all-weather course . Overall, he has made 32 of his 39 career starts on turf or synthetic surfaces.

Trainer Herman Wilensky claimed Lure Him In for $40,000 Sept. 9 at Del Mar and brought him back to Florida, where he raced eight times for breeder Stonehedge with three wins on the dirt and a win and a second on the turf.

“He’s a Florida-bred, and he belongs here,” Wilensky said of the decision to claim him. “I thought he was a better dirt horse than he was a turf or Tapeta horse. He will run on anything because he’s just such a class horse, but I feel like he’s better on the dirt. Obviously, he showed that last time. Coming back to Florida, we can get some Florida-bred stakes in him, and he should be pretty salty there.”

Before that, Wilensky is giving Lure Him In a shot in the Harlan’s Holiday off a two-length optional claiming allowance triumph Nov. 25 at Gulfstream, his first race in 2 ½ months and first on dirt since finishing third in the 1 ½-mile Tokyo City (G3) in April 2021 at Santa Anita.

“He ran huge last time,” Wilensky said. “It took us a little while to get him right, and he wasn’t even 100 percent at that time. He did perform well, and we weren’t surprised at all. It just took us a little time and he did what he had to do.”

Among the competition in the Harlan’s Holiday is Dubyuhnell, winner of the 2022 Remsen (G2); stakes winner Ny Traffic, placed in five graded-stakes including second by a nose to subsequent Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Authentic in the 2020 Haskell (G1); Grade 2-placed Blue Devil; O’Connor, a five-time group-stakes winner in Chile that took the Fayette (G2) Oct. 28 at Keeneland in his latest start; Grade 3-placed multiple stakes winners Octane and Steal Sunshine; and Grade 3 placed stakes winner Miles D.

Lure Him In will break from outermost Post 11 under jockey Edwin Gonzalez, who was up for his most recent victory.

“It’s a really tough, tough race. The post position I’m not happy with, but he’s going to go out there and try and he’s doing really, really well. He’s training great and doing everything just perfect. I can’t be happier with him.”

As for a possible Pegasus start, Wilensky said, “We’re just kind of going race by race. I wish we had an inside post, and it came up really salty. I mean, this race is tough. That’s part of the game. It’s going to be all about the trip. He’s going to go out there and perform.”

Four Stakes Worth $450,000 on First Weekend of New Year

Stakes winners Book ‘em Danno, Patriot Spirit and Squints, and Valiant Force, biggest-price winner in Royal Ascot history, top 13 nominations to the $100,000 Limehouse Saturday, Jan. 6 at Gulfstream Park.

The six-furlong Limehouse is among four stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds on the first weekend of 2024 along with the $125,000 Ginger Brew for fillies and $125,000 Dania Beach going a mile on the grass and $100,000 Glitter Woman for fillies sprinting six furlongs on the main track Sunday, Jan. 7.

Atlantic Six Racing’s Book ‘em Danno won each of his first three starts, graduating against fellow New Jersey-breds in mid-August before taking the Smoke Glacken at Monmouth and Futurity at Aqueduct, both going six furlongs. Last out he set the pace before settling for second, beaten three-quarters of a length in the one-mile Nashua Nov. 5.

Mellon Patch, Inc.’s Patriot Spirit won at first asking sprinting seven furlongs at Colonial Downs before losses in the Iroquois (G3) and Bowman’s Mill. Most recently, the Constitution colt was a popular winner of the six-furlong Inaugural Dec. 2 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Screen Door Stables’ Squints has raced exclusively at Gulfstream, winning his Sept. 16 debut at seven furlongs and running seventh in the FSS Affirmed before capturing the 6 ½-furlong Juvenile Sprint against fellow Florida-breds Nov. 11.

AMO Racing USA’s Valiant Force scored at odds of 150-1 in the five-furlong Norfolk (G2) in June, matching Nando Parrodo in the 2020 Coventry (G2) as Royal Ascot’s biggest upsets. Yet to race on dirt, Valiant Force finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.

Also prominent among Limehouse nominees are Billal, third in the Nashua; Change of Command, an impressive maiden winner Dec. 17 at Gulfstream for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey; and General Ledger, fourth by a half-length in the 7 ½-furlong Pulpit on the Gulfstream turf Dec. 9.

The Dania Beach drew 20 nominations including Pilgrim (G2) winner Agate Road, fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), and stablemate Noted, winner of the Sapling on dirt and Pulpit on turf that ran second in the Bourbon (G2) on the Keeneland grass; Laurel Futurity winner Air Recruit; Mattingly, winner of the Hollywood Beach on Gulfstream’s Tapeta Sept. 30; Reminder and Palm Tree, separated by a head when second and third in the Pulpit; Tok Tok, winner of the 1 1/16-mile Kitten’s Joy at Colonial Downs; and Walley World and Typhoon Fury, a head apart while second and third in the one-mile Central Park at Aqueduct.

Most popular with 27 nominations was the Ginger Brew, among them Dancing N Dixie, winner of the Nov. 3 Our Dear Peggy on Gulfstream’s Tapeta; Buttercream Babe, beaten a neck when second in the Surfer Girl (G3) Oct. 8 at Santa Anita; Miss Grillo (G2) runner-up Life’s An Audible; Omaha Girl, winner of the Hollywood Beach on Gulfstream’s main track Sept. 24; Ozara, winner of the Wait a While sprinting 7 ½ furlongs over the Gulfstream turf; and Yatta, third in the Selima at Laurel Park and Jimmy Durante (G3) Dec. 2 at Del Mar.

Let Them Watch, winner of the Aug. 13 Sharp Susan and Gulfstream and Dec. 2 Sandpiper at Tampa Bay Downs; FSS Desert Vixen runner-up Mist; Hepburn, twice stakes-placed on Gulfstream’s main track; impressive debut winners Into Champagne and Leslie’s Rose; Launch, Group 3-placed in Ireland; and Maryland Juvenile Filly winner Kissedbyanangel, entered in the Dec. 30 Gin Talking at Laurel Park, top 16 nominees to the Glitter Woman.