GULFSTREAM: SATURDAY STAKES PREVIEWS

By David Joseph —-

Three Rules Back on Friendly Ground for Saturday’s G2 Swale

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Three Rules is slated to seek a rebound from his first career loss while maintaining his perfect record at Gulfstream Park in Saturday’s $200,000 Swale (G2).

The son of Going Astray, who hasn’t raced since tasting defeat for the first time while finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita Nov. 5, has won all five of his races over the Gulfstream Park racetrack by a combined 31 lengths. The Jose Pinchin-trained colt has won four stakes, including a sweep of the Florida Sire Stakes Series with victories in the $200,000 Dr. Fager, the $300,000 Affirmed and the $500,000 In Reality.

“He has matured so much. He’s grown a little bit. He put on some weight. Everything’s good,” Pinchin said. “I’m looking forward to enjoy watching him race again.”

In the Juvenile, Three Rules finished more than 14 lengths behind Classic Empire, who is entered in Saturday’s $350,000 Lambholm South Holy Bull (G2) at Gulfstream, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

“He had a tough time for a young horse. He ran five races back to back and then he had to ship all the way to California,” Pinchin said. “It was tough on him.”

Three Rules, who will be ridden by Cornelio Velasquez Saturday, has produced a strong series of workouts in preparation for his 3-year-old debut against five rivals in the seven-furlong Swale.

“He’s doing everything good. He couldn’t be training better. He’s doing great,” Pinchin said.

While Mark Casse will saddle champion Classic Empire for the Holy Bull later on Saturday’s program, he will also saddle Vanish for the fifth-race Swale. Vanish, who broke his maiden in the Clarendon Stakes in his second of three starts over Woodbine’s synthetic racetrack, is slated to make his first start on dirt Saturday.

“He’s a really nice horse. He has nice form on the synthetic and has trained really well on the dirt. We’re going to give it a try. His numbers are pretty good, but they’re all on synthetic. He has trained better than average on the dirt, so we believe he deserves a shot,” Casse said. “His breeding says, ‘dirt,’ but the truth is I’ve found out over the years, you just never know until you run him.”

The Casse-trained State of Honor made a strong transition from synthetic to Gulfstream’s dirt track Jan. 7 in the Mucho Macho Man, in which he made an impressive run to take the lead in mid-stretch before settling for second, losing to Sonic Mule by a head. State of Honor’s performance has given Casse confidence that Vanish, a son of Algorithms, will also take to dirt.

“He’s really accomplished more on the synthetic than State of Honor, who ran so well in the Mucho Macho Man. State of Honor came to Palm Meadows and trained up a storm on the dirt. That’s why we ran him, and he ran extremely well,” Casse said. “I would put Vanish in that type of category. He’s trained very well on the dirt and deserves a shot, but you never know until you try them.”

Joel Rosario has the mount aboard Gary Barber’s Vanish.

Mucho Macho Man winner Sonic Mule will seek his fourth straight victory for Calumet Farm Saturday. The son of Distorted Humor had won one of three starts before shipping to South Florida in the fall. After finishing second on turf in the Armed Forces Stakes at Gulfstream, the Todd Pletcher trainee won an allowance race at Gulfstream Park West and added stakes victories in the six-furlong Buffalo Man and the mile Mucho Macho Man. John Velazquez has the mount.

Chad Brown-trained Favorable Outcome, who finished far back in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) in his most recent start, will return to dirt for the Swale. The son of Flatter had previously broken his maiden on dirt at Saratoga and finished third in the Champagne (G1) over Belmont’s main track. Javier Castellano, who rode him in both of his dirt starts, has the mount.

Also entered in the Swale: Derek’s Smile, who broke his maiden on dirt at Parx before winning a turf allowance at Gulfstream in December, and the Dale Romans-trained Impressive Edge, an impressive maiden winner at Gulfstream Jan. 15.

Rymska could provide Brown with yet another Sweetest Chant (G3) victory

Brown seeks his sixth win in turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies

With five wins in the last six runnings of the $100,000 Sweetest Chant (G3), trainer Chad Brown has a formidable contender for this year’s renewal in Rymska, who will face eight others in the turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park Saturday.

Formerly campaigned in France, where she won two of three starts including a listed stakes, Rymska arrived in the United States in the fall of 2016 to run in the Miss Grillo (G3) at Belmont Park Oct. 2. After finishing second in that spot for her former trainer, Pia Brandt, she remained in New York and was moved to Brown’s barn. Her original owner, Alain Jathiere, sold partial interest in her to U.S.-based partners, Sheep Pond Partners, Tom Coleman, and Norton Herrick, and the filly was pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).

Rymska finished fifth in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita Nov. 4, beaten 3 1/4 lengths by the winner, the Brown-trained New Money Honey, who had also defeated Rymska in the Miss Grillo.

Brown said he wasn’t at all disappointed by Rymska’s performance in his first start for his stable and noted that in the months following the Breeders’ Cup the filly adjusted very well to his barn’s training program.

“She was training particularly well going into the Breeders’ Cup and didn’t run bad at all,” said Brown who last month won his first Eclipse Award as North America’s champion trainer. “Now that I’ve had the opportunity to have her in our program a little longer, I see a horse that has improved as she has turned three. She has been able to adapt to our system and we’ve gotten to know her better. I expect a good race from her.”

Rymska, who Brown said has been training “very forwardly in the mornings”, drew post 7 and will be ridden for the first time by Joel Rosario.

Brown has also entered Ramona Bass’ Okinawa, a maiden winner who won her third career start by wiring the field of a mile turf race at Gulfstream Park Dec. 17. Javier Castellano has the call on Okinawa from the rail.

The waters will get steeper for Fifty Five in the Sweetest Chant. The New York-bred filly, who is making her stakes debut, enters the race off of back-to-back victories for trainer Tom Bush and her owners and breeders, John and Sandy Crowe of Empire Equines LLC.

Fifty Five is a daughter of the Bush-trained Get Stormy, a multiple Grade 1 winner who counted among his victories the 2012 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1). The trainer also conditioned Fifty Five’s dam, the stakes-placed Soave.

The late-developing Fifty Five, who will be ridden by Nik Juarez from post 9, broke her maiden in her second career start while competing against state-breds at Aqueduct in November. She returned to capture a first-level allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park on New Year’s Day. She won the 1 1/16-mile race by a half-length over Tamit, the favorite that day and one of her Sweetest Chant rivals.
In both of her wins, Fifty Five trailed the field early and turned on the burners in the stretch to overpower her competition.

“She’s had her share of trouble in her races, but when you’re on the turf and you come from as far back as what she seems to like, she will probably find trouble on a regular basis,” Bush said.

“Gulfstream normally isn’t kind to closers, that’s for sure, but she was able to do that in the allowance race. I think the filly who finished second [Tamit] has a legitimate reputation,” he added. “I know this race will be deeper with more contenders, but it’s a logical step, the timing is good, five weeks, so we’re going to give it a try.”

Glenn Hill Farm’s homebred Compelled was a runaway winner of the Juvenile Filly Turf Stakes for Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park West in November. Unraced since then, the War Front filly has had a steady workout regime at Tampa Bay Downs for trainer Tom Proctor.

Bahama Halo is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Ginger Brew at 7 1/2 furlongs on the Gulfstream Park turf. In her prior start, she finished fifth as the favorite in the off-the-turf Wait a While Stakes.
Also entered are A Great Time, the fourth-place finisher in the Ginger Brew; and Mo Justice, a maiden winner at Tampa Bay Downs who hails from the barn of noted turf trainer Christophe Clement; and Just Sassy, a recent winner of a maiden claiming race.

A field of eight 3-year-old males were entered in the $100,000 Kitten’s Joy Stakes at one mile on the turf.

The likely favorite is the multiple graded stakes winner Made You Look, the easy winner of the Dania Beach (G3) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 7 for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Pletcher also entered Lemonist, who was first under the finish line of a one-mile allowance race in his last start but then was disqualified for interference and placed second. Holiday Stone, who was elevated to the top spot, is also in the Kitten’s Joy field.

Clyde’s Image, a son of Get Stormy from the barn of Tom Bush, ran huge in his stakes debut to finish second in the Dania Beach at odds of 45-1. Dania Beach fourth-place finisher Kitten’s Cat has also been entered in the Kitten’s Joy, a race named for his prolific sire.

The field is completed by Minister’s Strike, who was undefeated in two starts before finishing sixth in the Dania Beach; Sonic Boom and Sir Sebastian.

Pretty City Dancer Making Seasonal Bow in G2 Forward Gal

G1 Winner Tops Field of Nine in $200,000 Seven-Furlong Sprint

The first Saturday in February has been circled on Mark Casse’s calendar for quite some time. Not only will he send out top-ranked Triple Crown contender Classic Empire for his 3-year-old debut, the trainer has Pretty City Dancer set to make her highly anticipated return in the $200,000 Forward Gal (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

The 41st running of the seven-furlong Forward Gal for 3-year-old fillies is one of five stakes, four graded, worth $950,000 in purses topped by Classic Empire’s appearance in the $350,000 Lambholm South Holy Bull (G2), Gulfstream’s first major prep for the $1 million Florida Derby (G1).

Also on Saturday’s card is the $200,000 Swale (G2) for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs, and the $100,000 Sweetest Chant (G3) for sophomore fillies and $100,000 Kitten’s Joy for 3-year-olds, both at one mile on turf.

Pretty City Dancer, like Classic Empire owned by John C. Oxley, enters the Forward Gal off three consecutive wins but is unraced since her dead-heat victory in the seven-furlong Spinaway (G1) in September at Saratoga Race Course.

The gray or roan daughter of Tapit has been working steadily at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, under the watch of Casse’s son and top assistant, Norm. Most recently, she went five furlongs in company with Classic Empire Jan. 28 in 1:03.90.

“We’re excited about her. I think Norm and I both agree that she’s training better than I’ve ever seen her train,” Casse said. “Maybe things worked out. We gave her a little bit of a break and right now it seems to have repaid us. She’s just training extremely well.

“We’re excited to get Classic Empire back running but we’re as excited about getting her back going, as well,” he added. “I think if things go her way and she can stay healthy, she can be as good as any filly in North America. We’re excited.”

The prolonged break wasn’t entirely by design. Casse had hoped to end Pretty City Dancer’s campaign in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) but a training setback last fall in Saratoga put that plan to a halt.

“A couple breezes after her [Spinaway] win she came back the next morning and was a touch off. We went through a series of X-rays and we couldn’t ever really pinpoint anything but she missed enough time that we felt like she wasn’t going to be her best for the Breeders’ Cup,” Casse said. “On the side of caution we took her home which we often do and gave her a little break and now she’s back we feel better than ever.”

Purchased as a yearling for $285,000, Pretty City Dancer will be reunited with regular rider Julien Leparoux, aboard for each of her first three starts but absent for the Spinaway while on the sidelines with a broken wrist. They will break from Post 4 at topweight of 122 pounds.

“She’s a filly that when we bought her, Mr. Oxley told me, ‘I want to buy the best Tapit filly in the sale.’ We went around and looked at all the Tapit fillies and this is the one we came up with. He bought her and we’ve been high on her from the beginning,” Casse said. “I like the distance. We’ve always felt like the more ground the better and seven-eighths is a nice race to start. There’s probably going to be some serious speed in there but she has enough speed where she’s not going to let them get too far away.”

Casse also entered Gary Barber’s Summer Luck in the Forward Gal, coming off her third-place finish in the six-furlong Old Hat Jan. 7 at Gulfstream. She had a tough trip that day, spotting the field several lengths after being forced to check at the start before coming with a steady bid where she split horses to find room inside and wound up beaten 3 ¼ lengths.

Javier Castellano, up in the Old Hat, gets the return call from Post 8 at 116 pounds.

“I was impressed she ran as well as she did [last time]. We had a troubled start and Javier said she just ran into the dirt and never gave up. Javier was very impressed with her. He’s ridden a few good ones so that made me feel good,” Casse said. “She’s a filly that we like a lot. We believe that ultimately she’s going to be a much better two-turn horse. I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up being a better grass horse than she is anything. She’s training really well.”

Wildcat Kate and Bode’s Dream, separated by a neck when running 1-2 in the Old Hat, will tangle again in the Forward Gal. Wildcat Kate pressed the pace before pouncing late to avenge her runner-up finish in the House Party behind Bode’s Dream, who suffered her first loss in four career starts.

Stakes winners Lirica, Ms Locust Point and Tequilita are each set to face stakes company for the first time. Lirica won the one-mile Hut Hut over an off track Dec. 10 at Gulfstream and was third in the seven-furlong Gasparilla Jan. 21 at Tampa Bay Downs to open her sophomore campaign.

Ms Locust Point and Tequilita are both coming off stakes wins at Laurel Park. Ms Locust Point posted a front-running 4 ½-length triumph in the seven-furlong Gin Talking Dec. 31, while Tequilita hasn’t raced since her length victory in the six-furlong Smart Halo Nov. 19.

“We gave her a little break and she’s worked nicely up to this point,” trainer Michael Matz said. “It’s a big jump in class so we’ll have to see how she handles it. She’s doing good right now.”

Rounding out the field are Just For Fun Stable’s My Lerler, third in the Hut Hut for trainer Anthony Cioffi, and Larry Bates-trained Brahms Cat, third in the House Party.

Gulfstream Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; XpressBet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets.