The Lead:
The three-tiered Florida Sire Stakes Series gets underway Saturday at Gulfstream Park for the 44th time as the co-featured Desert Vixen for the fillies and Dr. Fager for the colts & geldings share the marquee. Both $100,000 stakes are 6-furlong launching pads for 2-year-olds who will be tasked to 7 furlongs on October 18 then 1-1/16 miles in the series finale November 29. The Race 8 Desert Vixen boasts a standout favorite in Lennilu, winner of the Royal Palm Juvenile on turf locally before a Group 2 Queen Mary third-place cracker at Royal Ascot. The gambling focus instead will be the Dr. Fager in Race 10.

​Field Depth:
CAMIGOL is Grade 2-placed, while SQUIRE is listed stakes-placed. Five of the eight have some stakes experience despite limited starts.
​​
Pace:
CAMIGOL has the rail and a wire-to-wire win on his ledger. He's probably the pacemaker here with FOURTH AND CENTRAL from the outside the most likely early threat. The pace does not look overwhelming on paper, but could heat up if ALL TO WIN and/or SQUIRE get into the mix.

Our Eyes:
Here are my horse-by-horse notes.

#1-CAMIGOL: Neolithic colt has 3 starts under his belt and gained valuable experience at Saratoga when third of 4 in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special. He's back in with Florida-breds Saturday, a level at which he broke his maiden by nearly 6 lengths in his second outing. Rematches with Fourth and Central as that pair finished a neck apart May 31 in the debut for both. Trainer Antonio Sano is 1-9 at Gulfstream with horses coming off Saratoga roadtrips since 29 with a trio of third-place efforts.

#2-I'M TUFF ENOUGH: Florida-bred maiden victory is sandwiched between a couple of no-threat efforts, most recently sixth at 21-1 in the Proud Man Stakes. Regular rider Miguel Vasquez returns for the low-profile Mark Passley barn in search of its first stakes win in at least a decade, according to Betmix.

#3-RISTRE: Maiden enters off a debut runner-up July 30 at Gulfstream for a $25,000 claiming tag. Ronald Coy gets jockey Jesus Rios re-engaged. He piloted last year's Dr. Fager winner Rated By Merit and looks for back-to-back scores. Son of Gunnevera, a South Florida star who banked $5.5 million in winning races like the Fountain of Youth and hitting the board in the Travers, Pegasus World Cup, Breeders' Cup Classic and Dubai World Cup.

#4-JAMALAMADINGDONG: First-time starter cross-entered Sunday in a local maiden special weight sprint. Typically successful trainer Jose D'Angelo not known for debut success and is 1-for-33 this year with juvenile rookies. Sire Cajun Breeze is fantastic with first-time starters and the D'Angelo-Edgard Zayas tandem is as good as it gets during this meet. Mixed signs. The mare has 2 foals to race, 1 of which was a Pimlico debut winner.

#5-ALL TO WIN: August 2 debut winner makes his first start since that popular score at 6-5 odds. SIgnificant about the debut was the 6-furlong distance, making this Win Win Win colt 1 of only 2 in the FSS Dr. Fager with a score at the race's distance (with Trelawny). Game victory taking heat and pulling clear late and has 3 strong workouts on the tab since then right on cue. Rohan Crichton-Emisael Jaramillo team to a 24% win rate.

#6-SQUIRE: Royal Palm Juvenile runner-up as the 4-5 favorite on May 10, this will be the first appearance since for the singe-gelded son of Leinster. He'll head from turf to dirt and back to the surface over which he won an April 18 debut dash. Trainer Patrick Biancone was third in this race last year with Classic of Course and the barn is hitting at a 31% win rate in 2025. Bullet workout and resume point to potential public favoritism.

#7-TRELAWNY: After a debut maiden victory and a solid fourth in the Proud Man Stakes, the Jose Pinchin trainee takes his first crack at Florida-breds. Back-to-back starts at 6 furlongs give him a foundation edge on several of these. From the first crop to race by Uncle Chuck, a brilliantly fast Bob Baffert trainee who retired after the Travers and only 3 starts, winning the Los Al Derby. Uncle Chuck is off to a blazing 6-for-25 start with his first crop.

#8-FOURTH AND CENTRAL: Michael Yates trained last year's FSS series dominator Rated By Merit and will look for another trip to the well with this May 31 debut dash winner. Cajun Breeze gelding returned Aug. 9 in the Proud Man Stakes over a sloppy track, encountered early trouble and never got involved. His Aug. 23 bullet workout indicates he could be primed in his first try against state-bred company.

Most Likely Exotics Contender:
TRELAWNY is proven over the distance training on cue up to the third start of his form cycle.

Best Longshot Contender:
ALL TO WIN didn't get a huge speed figure in his debut win, but I love the training pattern since and should be a solid price.

Sending it in ($100 bankroll):
$25 exacta part-wheel TRELAWNY, ALL TO WIN with TREELAWNY, ALL TO WIN, FOURTH AND CENTRAL ($100).