Gulfstream: Saturday Stakes Previews

By David Joseph —-

Shivaree Ready for a Fight in Saturday’s Limehouse Stakes
Sound Machine Seeks Redemption in Glitter Woman Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Shivaree figures to be ready for a fight in Saturday’s $75,000 Limehouse Stakes at Gulfstream Park, where the Jacks or Better Farm homebred colt put on an impressive display of resolve while becoming a stakes winner in his most recent race.

The Limehouse, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds, will be one of five stakes for newly turned sophomores on Saturday’s card that will be highlighted by the $100,000 Kitten’s Joy (G3) and the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man, the first stop on the Road to the March 28 Florida Derby (G1).

Shivaree fought to the finish to win the Nov. 30 Buffalo Man, in which he set a pressured pace before being headed inside the eighth-pole, only to come back late to prevail over favored Went West by a neck in the six-furlong sprint

“He was as game as they come. He ran like an old seasoned horse,” trainer Ralph Nicks said. “He’d had quite a few races going into it. He’s learning, that’s all He’s learning what his job is.”

The son of Awesome of Course, who is a half-brother to multiple-stakes winner Garter and Tie, had previously broken his maiden by 9 ½ lengths in his fifth career start.

“It’s maturity.” Nicks said. “His brother Garter and Tie was a little earlier putting it together than this horse, but they are similar. It’s something to do with the family – they get better mid-summer, late in the year.”

Shivaree, the 7-5 morning-line favorite who will be ridden once again by Emisael Jaramillo, drew the No. 1 post position for the Limehouse, which drew a field of six.

“There are a couple of fast horses to the outside of us, being on the rail. He’s run from off the pace before. We’ll have to let Jaramillo figure it out as the race unfolds,” Nicks said. “Being on the rail, he’ll still be forwardly placed. There’s going to be pressure the whole way. You’d rather not see that, but if they’re going to run with him, they’re going to have to run, because we know he’s not going to give up.”

Stud Recoveco LLC’s Peruvian Boy, a stakes-placed son of Tapiture who finished fifth in the mile Smooth Air in his first start at Gulfstream; Zaino Ventures Inc.’s Zaino Boys, who captured the Dec. 7 Inaugural at Tampa Bay Downs; Shadybrook Farm Inc.’s Cajun Casanova, a stakes winner on turf who finished third in the Inaugural; Henco Inc. and the Four Horsemen Racing Stable’s Uncaptured King, who is coming off a back-to-back wins in claiming company; and Kristen Brew Browning and Daniel Damon’s Ricki Ticki Taffi, who finished fifth in the Buffalo Man; are also entered in the Limehouse.

Sound Machine Seeks Redemption in Glitter Woman Stakes

e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Sound Machine will seek redemption in Saturday’s $75,000 Glitter Woman, a 6 ½-furlong stakes for sophomore fillies at Gulfstream Park.

Favored at even-money in the Nov. 30 House Party, Sound Machine could get no closer than 1 ½ lengths to Spanish Point while finishing second in her stakes debut.

The daughter of Into Mischief, who was a $500,000 purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September sale, has been a heavy favorite in all three lifetime starts, including a 8 ¼-length debut romp and a sixth-place finish in a Keeneland allowance.

“She seems to be doing well since the last race. In the House Party she ran OK; she was second. We’re going to stretch her out a little bit. We’re unsure how she’s going to handle it,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “Hopefully, with the added distance, they’ll go a little slower and she can relax a little better, but the distance will be a question mark. She seems to be in better form than last time. We need to find some improvement and hopefully she can find it.”

Sound Machine, who will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, will attempt to turn the tables on Limestone Thoroughbreds’ Spanish Point, who set a pressure early pace before edging clear in the House Party.

Trained by Jorge Abreu, Spanish Point had previously won her debut in a $50,000 claiming race for maidens Sept. 28 at Belmont Park.

Spanish Point, a daughter of Creative Cause, has been installed as the morning-line favorite at 5-2, ahead of Sound Machine at 3-1.

Rounding out the field: Vincent Perez and GDS Racing Stable’s Tale of Success, Parkland Thoroughbreds and Backstretch Farms Inc.’s Lady Anna, Maria Ines Mejia’s Glory Dia, Magic City Casino Racing, Adam Moscowitz and Savin Sister’s Stable’s Lavi, Briannjenn Racing LLC’s Addilyn and 305 Solutions Inc.’s Sayonara Baby round out the field.

Kenneally Hoping to ‘Abscond’ with $100,000 Ginger Brew
G1 Winner Tops 12 3-Year-Old Fillies in 7 ½-Furlong Turf Sprint

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Apogee Bloodstock and Mike Anderson Racing’s Abscond brings Grade 1 credentials to Gulfstream Park with the chance to give trainer Eddie Kenneally a second straight win in Saturday’s $100,000 Ginger Brew.

The ninth running of the 7 ½-furlong Ginger Brew for newly turned 3-year-old fillies is among five stakes worth $450,000 in purses led by the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man for 3-year-olds on dirt and $100,000 Kitten’s Joy (G3) on turf, promoted to graded status for the first time in 2020.

Post time for the first of 11 races is noon.

Kenneally captured the 2019 Ginger Brew with William Pape’s Boxwood in what was the filly’s stakes debut. This year, he brings a horse exiting three previous stakes efforts including back-to-back Grade 1 races, the most recent coming when fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.

“She’s doing really, really good. I’m very happy with her,” Kenneally. “She’s done really well at Palm Meadows and hasn’t missed a beat since the Breeders’ Cup. She ran well, actually, in the Breeders’ Cup and didn’t get beat terribly far. She got hooked up in a little bit of a speed duel in the early part of the race but still finished OK. We’re on track for the Ginger Brew; of course, we won it last year. I think it’s a good place for the filly to start.”

Abscond has breezed four times since early December at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. She wound up 4 ½ lengths behind Sharing in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, contested at one mile.

“She was beaten less than five lengths after just getting surrounded by some other horses going into that first turn and she got very competitive with them and ran with them early, and kept running,” Kenneally said. “It was a good effort, and we’re delighted with her.”

Abscond earned her way to the Breeders’ Cup with a hard-fought nose triumph in the one-mile Natalma (G1) Sept. 15 over a yielding turf course at Woodbine. She retains the services of reigning Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz Jr., aboard for each of the past two starts, from Post 4 of 12 at co-topweight of 122 pounds.

“She’s just a battler, a tough filly. She gutted it out really hard that day and got a fantastic ride from Irad Ortiz. He’s staying on her and he rides her with plenty of confidence,” Kenneally said. “I think she’s pretty versatile. She’s turf. Her action is much different on turf. She works well on dirt but she’s a superior turf horse.”

Andrew Stone’s Bredenbury was also bred in Ireland and has one stateside start to her credit, running sixth after being bumped slightly at the start of the one-mile Chelsea Flower Stakes Nov. 3 over an Aqueduct turf course rated good.

“I thought she’d run better than she did that day,” trainer Graham Motion said. “I was a little disappointed with her effort. I’m not quite sure how far this filly wants to go. The fact that this race was a little shorter was appealing to me. She’s doing well. I’ve had her down in Florida for a month or so and she seems to have handled things well. I’m pleased to get her back to the races.”

Bredenbury raced exclusively at six furlongs in her first four starts, all in England, where she won an allowance second time out. She will carry 120 pounds including Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez from Post 11.

“I guess the question is going to be does she really want to go two turns. That’s going to be what we’re going to have to decide,” Motion said. “Unfortunately it’s very limiting over here if you’re going to sprint on the grass, because you really have to run five-eighths. That’s why I’m hoping that this will be sort of a happy medium for her.”

Also entered are stablemates American Giant and Our Little Jewel, 1-2 in the Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 9 at Gulfstream Park West; Cheermeister and Sunset Promise, the first two finishers in the Wait A While Stakes Nov. 30 at Gulfstream; High On Gin, a two-time stakes winner in Louisiana; Hear My Prayer and Queen of God, winners of two straight; Moral Reasoning, Runway Dreamer and She’s My Type.

Ramseys Look to Repeat History in $100,000 Kitten’s Joy (G3)
Sophomore Turf Sprint Carries Graded Status for First Time in 2020

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – When Gulfstream Park added the Kitten’s Joy to its stakes lineup seven years ago, Ken and Sarah Ramsey were fitting first winners of the race named for their multi-millionaire homebred grass champion and six-time leading turf sire.

The $100,000 Kitten’s Joy for newly turned 3-year-olds sprinting 7 ½ furlongs on the grass returns to Gulfstream Saturday for the first time as a Grade 3 race, and the Ramseys have the opportunity to repeat history with Mike Maker-trained Bless the Kitten.

Bless the Kitten is a bay son of Kitten’s Joy bred and owned by the Ramseys coming off a gutsy head victory going 1 1/16 miles in a Nov. 10 maiden special weight over the Churchill Downs turf. Bless the Kitten also came from off the pace in his one-mile debut Oct. 6 at Keeneland, finishing fourth.

“Bless the Kitten is a pretty nice horse,” Ken Ramsey said. “He’s going to have to step up a little bit to make an impact in the race now that it’s a Grade 3 because the grading will attract a few more good horses. We’ll see how it all plays out.”

Maker is one of Ramsey’s primary trainers but is looking for his first Kitten’s Joy victory. Ramsey won the inaugural 2013 edition with Charming Kitten, trained by Todd Pletcher, and won again in 2017 with Kitten’s Cat, from the barn of trainer Joe Sharp.

“Upgrading the race, that shows the quality of horses that’s been put in it,” Ramsey said. “I know the graded-stakes committee goes through those things with a fine-tooth comb so … it’s good to see that one in there.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., the reigning Eclipse Award winner who looms as the favorite to pick up his second straight trophy during the Jan. 23 ceremony at Gulfstream, rides for the first time from Post 4 of nine at 118 pounds.

Isabelle de Tomaso’s homebred Irish Mias will be making his fourth straight stakes start as he cuts back to a sprint for the first time since August in the Kitten’s Joy. The chestnut Sky Mesa colt, trained by Graham Motion, was a head winner of the Laurel Futurity going 1 1/16 miles Sept. 21 at Laurel Park in his stakes debut.

Irish Mias raced at one mile in each of his past two starts, running fourth in the Awad Stakes Oct. 26 at Belmont Park and second to undefeated Sole Volante in the Pulpit Stakes Nov. 30 at Gulfstream. Sole Volante is making his dirt debut in Saturday’s $100,000 Mucho Macho Man.

“I think he hasn’t done much wrong really,” Motion said. “I’m happy with how he’s done. He’s been very consistent. I thought he ran very well at Gulfstream last time. The only thing that hurts him is that he has a tendency to break a step slow. If he could overcome that, I think it would really help him. He just puts himself in a tough spot because he breaks a step slow. It would be nice if he could kind of get over it.”

Rajiv Maragh, aboard in the Pulpit, gets the return call from Post 2 on Irish Mias, owner of one win, three seconds and $176,000 in purse earnings from five starts. He is the 123-pound topweight in the Kitten’s Joy.

“I don’t think he has to come from out of it; I think it’s more the fact that he’s broken slowly each time,” Motion said. “I think he’s a two-turn horse. I don’t know how far he’s going to want to go, to be honest, but I think two turns is what he’ll prefer. It’s going to be a step up. I’m sure this is going to be a much more competitive group this weekend.”

Matt Schera’s Island Commish takes a two-race win streak into the Kitten’s Joy, his sixth career start and second in stakes company. Off a 9 ½-length romp in an off-the-turf maiden claimer Aug. 3, the Commissioner colt was third in the 7 ½-furlong Proud Man behind multiple stakes winner Graceful Kitten, who would go on to run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1).

“He ran third in that race and he was a little keen the whole way and never really relaxed,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “I think he’s a much better horse now than he was then. Even his last two races, I know it wasn’t a stakes race, but I think he was a better horse in those races than when he ran first time in the stake.”

Island Commish was favored in each of his last three starts at 2, including back-to-back wins going 7 ½-furlongs over the Gulfstream Park West turf, the most recent coming Nov. 20. Paco Lopez, up in both races, rides back from Post 8.

“He’s done well since the race and now we’re going to give him the chance to see what kind of quality horse he is. Obviously he’s going to have to step up his game but we think he’s in good form and he deserves a shot. This will give us an idea where we stand going forward,” Joseph said. “We think he’ll definitely go further, also, but it’s the same distance. The only thing different is the class, but he’s in good form and we’re going to try it at a distance we know he’s very good at”

Joseph also entered John Fanelli and Leonard Liberto’s Ny Traffic for main track only. Ny Traffic won a maiden special weight Oct. 12 at Parx and has since finished off the board in two subsequent stakes, most recently the six-furlong Notebook Nov. 17 at Aqueduct.

D P Racing, Mrs. Paul Shanahan and Mrs. M.V. Magnier’s Yesterdayoncemore is set for her sophomore debut off a brief freshening for trainer Patrick Biancone. The daughter of 2014 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) runner-up No Nay Never has been training for her return since mid-December at Palm Meadows.

After making her first five starts in Ireland, where she was bred, Yesterdayoncemore made her North American debut in the one-mile Juvenile Fillies Turf Sept. 2 at Del Mar, overcoming traffic trouble to win by a length. She returned to be sixth in the Surfer Girl Stakes Oct. 6 at Santa Anita, also at a mile, before getting time off.

“We gave her time to acclimatize, let her relax and enjoy the weather in Florida,” Biancone said. “This is her first race of the year, we hope she goes on from there. She’s really, really talented. She’s a nice filly.”

Julien Leparoux rides Yesterdayoncemore for the first time from Post 3.

Completing the field are Todd Pletcher-trained stablemates Summer to Remember, a Dec. 11 maiden winner over the Gulfstream turf, and Mystic Lancelot; Get Smokin and King Theo.

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, 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. For more information contact David Joseph at david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com or call 954.457.6451.