Blue Y Gold moves back to his preferred surface as he looks for his first win of the season when he breaks from the rail in a field of five in Sunday’s $42,000 allowance optional claiming feature, going six furlongs at Monmouth Park.

            The 7-year-old gelding by Mutakddim was last seen on the Monmouth grass when he finished seventh behind stakes victor Pool Winner in an allowance optional claiming event on June 23.

            His first two starts of the year came over a sloppy main track at Monmouth Park where he finished in the money against two graded stakes winners, Rainbow Heir and Always Sunshine.

            “I think he likes the dirt more than the grass,” said trainer J. Willard Thompson. “He’s been doing good coming out of the race. He’ll probably sit back and make one good run and hopefully it’s a successful one.”

            The son of the Luhuk mare Bromita capped off his 2016 campaign with his most recent win, using his usual late kick to go by allowance optional claiming opponents mid-stretch and scoring the length and a quarter victory over a muddy main track at Parx.

            Owned by Quiet Winter Farm, Blue Y Gold has worked once in his lead up to Sunday. That breeze came on July 16 when he went three furlongs in :35 4/5, third fastest of the 20 who went the distance that morning.

            For Blue Y Gold to get back to the winner’s circle, he will have to take down the two likely favorites out of Jorge Navarro’s barn. He’s Got Talent (9/5) looks for consecutive wins after besting allowance optional claiming company at Penn National and Fire Mission (2/1) is a stakes winner this year, taking home the Trust Buster Stakes at Gulfstream Park in February.

            Sunday’s feature will go as race 9 on the day’s 10-race program. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. with first post at 12:50 p.m.