One Hundred Kings seeks breakthrough in Carry Back Stakes at Gulfstream

One Hundred Kings heads into Gulfstream Park’s Carry Back Stakes with the kind of setup that can change the way a colt looks on paper. The Victor Barboza Jr. trainee is set to run in Race 8 on June 27, a $100,000, seven-furlong stakes that shares the spotlight with the $100,000 Musical Romance Stakes on the Royal Palm Meet card, and the race may tell whether his best work has been hidden by circumstance.

The 3-year-old has already shown enough speed to belong. He broke his maiden on April 19 in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Gulfstream, was bumped at the start, recovered quickly and still drew off by two lengths in 1:10.51. In his next outing at the same sprint distance, he had the rail and faced more pressure early, then still held on for second, beaten 2 3/4 lengths by Ramajay.

That is where the Carry Back becomes interesting. Barboza’s case is simple: One Hundred Kings has looked better finishing than blazing away in a pure dash, and the extra furlong could let him show that difference. He drew an outside post, which should help him avoid the traffic that compromised both of his first two starts from inside positions, and he is listed at 6-1 on the morning line, a fair price for a colt still trying to define his ceiling.

The pace picture may change as well. Ramajay, the horse who beat One Hundred Kings last time, was expected to scratch after coming up with a minor issue earlier in the week, a development that could soften the pace and alter the betting shape. Saffie Joseph Jr. still had a strong hand in the race with Ramajay and Langvad, both recent winners described as well-graded and relatively easy in their latest starts, while the full field also included Moonstrocity, Sonic Surge, Wayne’s Law and Lester Barbazon III.

That field gives the Carry Back the feel of more than a rematch. It is a test of whether One Hundred Kings is just a sharp sprinter or a colt ready to keep stretching his resume. The race has served that purpose before. First run in 1975 and named for Hall of Fame runner Carry Back, it has long been a proving ground for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs, with past winners including Smile and Lost in Fog. Jockey Eibar Coa won it three straight times from 1997 through 1999, and the stakes’ namesake was the 1961 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner who entered the Hall of Fame in 1975.

For One Hundred Kings, the path is straightforward: a slightly longer trip, a cleaner run, and a chance to turn promising sprint form into something more durable.