Gulfstream Stakes Advances: Grade 3’s Carry Back & Smile Sprint

By David Joseph —-

Three Rules ‘As Good as Ever’ for Saturday’s Grade 3 Carry Back
R Angel Katelyn Seeks Sixth Stakes Win in $75,000 Azalea

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – After launching his career last year with five-straight victories, including a sweep of the Florida Sire Stakes series, Three Rules is scheduled to seek his first victory of the 2017 season in the $150,000 Carry Back (G3) on Saturday’s Summit of Speed program at Gulfstream Park.

Although Three Rules is winless this year, trainer Jose Pinchin expects the son of Gone Astray to be at his best in the seven-furlong stakes for 3-year-olds that will highlight Saturday’s $1 million seven-stakes event, along with ‘Win & You’re In’ Breeders’ Cup races the $250,000 Princess Rooney (G2) and the $250,000 Smile Sprint (G3).

“He’s as good as ever,” said Pinchin, who trains the Florida-bred colt for Shade Three Thoroughbreds, Tom Fitzgerald and Geoff Roy. “He’s been knocking heads with the best horses this year”.

Three Rules, who sustained his first career loss in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita, kicked off his 3-year-old campaign with a second-place finish in the seven-furlong Swale (G2) Feb. 4 at Gulfstream, three-quarters of a length behind Favorable Outcome. The homebred colt went on to finish third behind multiple graded-stakes winners Gunnevera and Practical Joe in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth (G2) March 4 and fifth in the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby (G1) April 1. The first three finishers in Gulfstream’s signature race for 3-year-olds, Always Dreaming, State of Honor and Gunnevera went on to run in the Kentucky Derby (G1), with Always Dreaming scoring by 2 ¾ lengths in the first leg of the Triple Crown.

After a brief freshening, Three Rules was favored in the six-furlong Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico on the Preakness Stakes (G1) undercard but finished third behind Recruiting Ready and Aquamarine after breaking from the rail post position on a track that favored outside runners and having to be steadied in traffic on the turn.

“He drew ‘1;’ the track was muddy, but he still ran well,” Pinchin said.

Three Rules has breezed three times, including a bullet clocking of 59.45 seconds June 17, over the Gulfstream Park surface since his last start.

Jockey Cornelio Velasquez, who was aboard Three Rules for his five straight victories last year, is set for a return to the saddle for the first time since finishing second in the Swale.

Three Rules, who is scheduled to meet 10 other 3-year-olds in the Carry Back, captured the seven-furlong Affirmed in the middle of his Florida Sire Stakes sweep.

“I think seven-eighths is his ideal distance,” Pinchin said. “He has a high cruising speed – seventh-eighths should be his best journey.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher is scheduled to be represented by a pair of less experienced colts than Three Rules in the Carry Back, in which Benefactor and Blind Ambition will each seek to become a stakes winner.

Benefactor, who graduated in his second lifetime start by two lengths at Gulfstream May 13, is coming off a second-place finish in the Ocala Flame overnight handicap June 9 for WinStar Farm, China Horse Club and SF Racing Group. Gaineway Farm’s Blind Ambition broke his maiden in his third lifetime start April 29 over the main track before capturing an entry-level optional claiming allowance on turf May 28.

“They’re both well-bred horses and good-looking horses, but we just weren’t positive what their preferred surface would be,” Pletcher said. “With Benefactor being a More Than Ready we thought he was one that could potentially go dirt or turf and same thing with Blind Ambition being a son of Tapit. It seemed like he could go either way, especially being out of Starfish Bay. That’s why we ran him on the grass last time and it seemed like he handled it well, but I thought he was also impressive breaking his maiden going seven-eighths on the dirt.”

Sweetontheladies, a multiple-stakes winner, is set for his graded-stakes debut in the Carry Back. Owned by the Four Horsemen Racing Stable and Lady Lindsay Racing Stables, the son of Twirling Candy has won three of four starts on the main track at Gulfstream, including a victorious return from a four-month layoff in the off-the-turf Crest River overnight handicap June 4.

The Henry Collazo-trained 3-year-old had previously finished fourth in the Mucho Macho Man behind Sonic Mule, State of Honor and Talk Logistics Jan. 4.

“He didn’t get a good break and he was in with some really good horses,” Collazo said. “It wasn’t on even terms. At that time he wasn’t as good of a horse to overcome those adversities and still be able to run down those quality of horses. With a better start, he would have been closer.”
Sweetontheladies, who will be ridden by Marcos Meneses, has demonstrated the versatility to come from far back, as he did while winning the Juvenile Sprint at Gulfstream Park West last fall, as well as race on the lead or close to the pace, as he did while winning his first two career starts and the Crest River.

“He’s just a racehorse,” Collazo said.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Classic Rock, who finished off the board in the Woody Stephens (G2) at Belmont June 10, is set for a return to action at Gulfstream, where he notched three straight victories, including a four-length score in the Roar Stakes April 22. Luca Panici has been named to ride the Kathy Ritvo-trained son of McClean’s Music.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Hunka Burning Love, a stakes-placed son of Into Mischief who captured a second-level allowance at Churchill Downs June 3; Marco Thoroughbreds Mo Cash, who won his first three starts, including two stakes, before finishing second in the Big Drama at Gulfstream May20; and Span Investments and Rohan Crichton’s Crocodile Charlie, who defeated Benefactor in the Ocala Flame last time out; are among the serious Carry Back contenders.

Aberdeen Way, Gregory Sun and Mr. Atila round out the field.

R Angel Katelyn Seeks Sixth Stakes Win in $75,000 Azalea

R Angel Katelyn is scheduled to seek her sixth stakes victory in the $75,000 Azalea on Saturday’s Summit of Speed card at Gulfstream Park. The Gerald Bennett-trained daughter of High Cotton is scheduled to clash with nine rivals in the seven-furlong stakes event for 3-year-old fillies.

Owned by Averill Racing, CCF Racing Stable and K Lauren Racing, R Angel Katelyn has been pace-involved in all of her stakes victories, demonstrating the ability to set or press the pace.
“She just has natural speed. She has a great mind. Nothing ever seems to upset her,” Bennett said. “She has great tactical speed, especially when she draws outside. She just sits there and see how the race unfolds. If you ask her, she’ll go.”

The Florida-bred filly was unable to employ her winning tactics in her graded-stakes debut after drawing the rail post position for the Adena Springs Miss Preakness (G3) at Pimlico May 19. Away a little slow from her disadvantage post, R Miss Katelyn was trapped on a dead rail and finished sixth.
“It was not the place to be. You’d have to break and use her to get her off the rail,” Bennett said.
R Angel Katelyn returned to her winning ways in her Gulfstream debut June 7, pressing the pace before edging away to a half-length victory in the Liza Jane overnight handicap. Edgard Zayas has the return mount.

Darsan Inc.’s Who’s The Lady is set for a return to Gulfstream Park after a couple of subpar showings out of town. The Kathleen O’Connell trained filly had won her first four starts, including the Any Limit Stakes March 28, before finishing 11th in the Miss Preakness and eighth in the Crank It Up at Monmouth.

Bluestone Thoroughbreds’ Brahms Cat, who finished an even third behind R Angel Katelyn in the Liza Jane, returns in the Azalea. The Larry Bates-trained daughter of Wildcat Heir finished third behind Tequilita in the seven-furlong Forward Gal (G2) during the Championship Meet. Javier Castellano has the mount.

Pinnacle Racing Stable’s Sweet Tooth Haven, who returned from a long layoff to win an entry-level allowance; and Magic Stable’s Lirica, a stakes winner at Gulfstream, are also entered in the Azalea.
Trainer Todd Pletcher is setting the bar high by entering recent debut winner Firefoot in the Azalea.
“She’s just had the one race and we just felt like it’s kind of an ambitious move, but she’s there, she’s training well and it’s an opportunity to maybe get some black type for her,” Pletcher said. “We feel like she could improve after not getting away great first time out and that hopefully there’s a move forward in her. The distance should be no problem.”

Owned by StarLadies Racing and Nexus Racing’s Firefoot captured a maiden special weight race by three lengths at Gulfstream June 4.

True Motion, Hello Juliet, Worth Avenue and Fergilicious round out the field.

Awesome Banner, Delta Bluesman Seek Winning Form in G3 Smile Sprint

$250,000 Stakes ‘Win and You’re In’ for Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1)

Delta Bluesman and Awesome Banner, veteran graded stakes-winning sprinters with a history of success at Gulfstream Park, return to South Florida Saturday intent on getting back to their winning ways in the $250,000 Smile Sprint (G3).

The six-furlong Smile Sprint for 3-year-olds and up is one of seven stakes, three graded, worth $1 million in purses on the 14-race Summit of Speed program. Other graded races are the $250,000 Princess Rooney (G2) for females 3 and up and the $150 Carry Back (G3) for 3-year-olds, both at seven furlongs. First race post time is 11:55 a.m.

Monster Racing Stables’ Delta Bluesman and Jacks or Better Farm’s homebred Awesome Banner, both bred in Florida, will have more on the line than ending six-race winless streaks that date back to last fall. As a ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifying event, the Smile Sprint offers the winner an all-fees-paid trip to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) in November.

Delta Bluesman and Awesome Banner last met in the Sunshine Millions Sprint Jan. 21 at Gulfstream, finishing second and third, respectively, separated by a neck. Delta Bluesman is the defending champion in the Smile Sprint, taking last year’s edition by 3 ¾ lengths in 1:08.94.

The 7-year-old Wagon Limit gelding ran fourth in the A.G. Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga and won the five-furlong Hall of Fame at Parx prior to the Breeders’ Cup, where he finished sixth at Santa Anita but was placed fifth following a rough trip.

“In the Breeders’ Cup he got cut up really bad and when horses were coming next to him he was shying away from them. He would quit and then take off running again. We made some equipment changes and I’m working him in company now, and he’s coming around really good,” trainer Jorge Navarro said. “I think I have him training the way he was training last year when we went down south.”

Delta Bluesman has yet to win in five starts this year, running third in the Mr. Prospector (G3), second in the Sunshine Millions and sixth in the Gulfstream Park Sprint (G3) over the winter. He was third in his last two races, most recently in the five-furlong Wolf Hill contested in the slop May 13 at Navarro’s summer base of Monmouth Park.

“If you look at the replay, there was a faster horse ahead of him and they beat us to the punch. He was laying a comfortable second and out of nowhere the winner goes by us. He had kind of quit and as soon as the winner went by he started running again,” Navarro said.

“After the last race I sat down with the owner to start deciding what we’re going to do with him. Do we retire him?” he added. “He’s done so much for us. He was an ex-claimer and I’d hate to drop him for the claiming tag again. He must have heard those words because he’s training like the good horse he was last year.”

Delta Bluesman has run 26 of his 51 lifetime starts and banked more than half of his $602,937 earnings at Gulfstream, with half of his 10 career wins coming at the Smile Sprint distance. Meet-leading rider Tyler Gaffalione picks up the mount for the first time, breaking from outside Post 8 at 119 pounds.

“He loves Gulfstream,” Navarro said. “I claimed this horse three years ago for $25,000. I know what I’m asking is a lot. But I know when he’s right he can beat any horse out there.”

Now 4 and trained by Ken Decker, Awesome Banner has run 11 of his 16 career races with six wins, two seconds and a third at Gulfstream, where he has earned $539,110 of his $601,310 bankroll. Both of his graded wins – the 2016 Hutcheson (G3) and Swale (G2) – have come over the local surface.

“Gulfstream is his racetrack. He hasn’t been down there this winter and spring but that’s his racetrack,” Decker said. “He knows it, he likes it, and he does well down there.”

Last year Awesome Banner followed his winter success at Gulfstream by taking the final two legs of its Florida Sire Series for sophomores in the fall, the Prized and Foolish Pleasure, capping his campaign running fifth in the Malibu (G1) at Santa Anita. Following the Sunshine Millions he was off the board in the one-mile Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2) and seven-furlong Carter (G1) April 8 at Aqueduct.

Awesome Banner flashed his old form in his most recent effort, laying close to a hotly contested pace and staying on to finish third, beaten just a half-length by Whitmore and A.P. Indian in the Maryland Sprint (G3) May 20 at Pimlico. His final tune-up for the Smile Sprint was a sharp half-mile breeze in 47.80 seconds from the gate June 23, the fastest of 34 horses at Laurel Park, where Decker is based.

“He’s doing really well. He came out of the Maryland Sprint in good shape and he’s been training back,” Decker said. “Basically when he’s on his game like he is right now, he goes well within himself and that was a pretty nice work.

“We tried something a little different with him in the Carter and he didn’t really like it,” he added. “We changed back up on him and he worked good going into the Maryland Sprint. He ran a nice race over there and just got beat by some really nice horses. Right now the way he’s training, if he makes the trip good, he’s going to be tough.”

Edgard Zayas will ride from Post 3 at 119 pounds.

Raymond Mamone’s Imperial Hint takes a three-race win streak into the Smile Sprint, which will be his first race since giving Parx-based Luis Carvajal Jr. the first graded win of his training career in the seven-furlong General George (G3) Feb. 18 at Laurel.

The General George was Imperial Hint’s second straight stakes victory and earned him an invitation to run in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) March 26, but the 4-year-old colt developed pneumonia shortly after arriving and missed the race. Carvajal spent the next month with him in Dubai before returning home in mid-April, and the horse followed a week later.

“He’s doing fantastic. I was very happy the way he came out of the trip from Dubai to the states,” Carvajal said. “I was thinking about giving him extra couple weeks off when we got back but I walked the horse for a few days and he was tough to handle. He was happy. He seemed like he needed to go back to the track. The month that were in Dubai we just walked and grazed him, so he was very fresh. He came back and I was really happy. He came back in good form and that’s why I got him back to the track, and he’s been good since then.”

Imperial Hint has signaled his readiness with a string of solid works at Parx, firing three consecutive bullets this month, most recently having a three-furlong blowout in 35.48 seconds June 25. While he will be making his South Florida debut, Carvajal’s history at Gulfstream dates back to when he worked as an assistant to trainer Bob Durso in the late 1990s.

“This little guy, I have a lot of faith in him. He’s doing pretty good. He looks good,” Carvajal said. “He hasn’t run since February … [but] he’s a small horse so it doesn’t take too much to get him fit. Right now he’s showing me he’s ready to go through the workouts and his attitude and body language. He’s ready.”

Hall of Fame-elect jockey Javier Castellano, up for a Parx allowance win Sept. 24, gets a return call from Post 2 at topweight of 123 pounds.

Newtown Anner Stud’s Royal Squeeze will be making his 16th career start and second for trainer Ralph Nicks following his 1 ¾-length triumph in the seven-furlong Jeblar Stakes April 30 at Gulfstream. It marked the season debut for the 5-year-old son of Wildcat Heir and first race in nearly eight months.

“There wasn’t really anywhere to go and he ran pretty hard off the layoff. Those sprinters they don’t need to run every month,” Nicks said. “He’s doing very well. It’s going to be a tough spot for him but he’s training well and hopefully he’ll get a decent piece of it.”

His previous graded attempts saw Royal Squeeze finish 12th in the Jaipur (G3) last June, the last of his three unsuccessful tries on turf, and sixth in the seven-furlong Carry Back in 2015. He has finished in the top three in six of eight career tries at Gulfstream including a victory via disqualification in the 2015 Tarpon Stakes.

“I think this will indicate something [distance-wise] or indicate what level he is,” Nicks said. “At the end of the day he’s just a pretty nice racehorse and he’s been pretty productive no matter what’s been thrown at him.”

Midwest Thoroughbreds’ Quijote, winner of the Big Drama over fellow Florida-breds May 20 at Gulfstream; Coronado Again, Express Jet and Very Very Stella complete the field.

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. The Stronach Group is also a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.