Gulfstream: My Denysse Graduates in Style in $100,000 My Dear Girl

By David Joseph —-

My Denysse Graduates in Style in $100,000 My Dear Girl

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Just For Fun Stable, Inc.’s My Denysse, bred, owned and trained by Ruben Sierra, broke her maiden in spectacular fashion Saturday by rallying past favored Stunner in deep stretch to spring a 50-1 upset in the $300,000 My Dear Girl at Gulfstream Park.

The 1 1/16-mile My Dear Girl, third and final leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Series for 2-year-old fillies by accredited Florida stallions, served as a co-headliner with the $300,000 FSS In Reality for 2-year-olds.

My Denysse ($72.80) had made four previous starts, the last three under jockey Jesus Rios, who gave the daughter of Neolithic a patient trip before unleashing a rally at the top of the stretch to snap stakes winner Stunner’s two-race win streak.

“My expectation, I’ve got to be honest, was I hope I run second. Stunner looked like a very difficult task. I was hopeful that the extra half a furlong was going to help us,” Sierra said. “I’ve got to give all the credit to Rios. When he rode her the first time he said, ‘This is the filly I want to ride.’”

Stunner, winner of the one-mile Tempted Nov. 2 at Aqueduct, broke running from her rail post under jockey Edgard Zayas and was in front through a quarter-mile in 23.32 seconds and a half in 47.49 pressed by R Morning Brew, winner of the Sept. 7 Desert Vixen to open the FSS series. Last out maiden winner Fede raced in third with Oct. 19 FSS Susan’s Girl winner Win N Your In saving ground in fourth.

Zayas and Stunner made the turn for home with a comfortable lead but Rios and My Denysse were just gearing up from well off the pace as six furlongs went in 1:13.21 with Win N Your In passing R Morning Brew for second.

“All I told Rios was, ‘Good luck,’” Sierra said. “He’s been telling me all along he was very confident going into the race. I was surprised that he was that confident, but I guess he knew what he had. He executed the plan to perfection. I can only give him a lot of credit.”

Brad Cox-trained Stunner, sent off at 1-5 in a field of seven, clung to a shrinking lead past the eighth pole but My Denysse was coming with a flourish and surged past in the final sixteenth of a mile to win by a neck in 1:49.30 over a fast main track. Stunner was followed by Fede, R Morning Brew, Bee a Queen, Win N Your In and Kip the Distance.

“The horse was a maiden before race but I suspected he’d run a good race because a long time ago I said to the trainer, ‘This filly, with more distance at 1 1/16 miles she will be running very well and maybe she will run this race,’ and she won,’” Rios said through an interpreter. “I felt the pace was fast at the beginning, so I decided to be at the back of the pack. She allowed them to sprint and down the stretch she was coming very strong.”

Stunner had made each of her first three starts against open company in New York, winning her last two in front-running fashion by 9 ¾ combined lengths.

“The track seemed a little bit heavy and getting that pressure probably bothered her in the end,” Zayas said.

My Denysse has raced exclusively at her home track of Gulfstream, finishing fourth in debut June 23 under Leonel Reyes. Third in her next two starts sprinting six furlongs including as the favorite Aug. 9 behind R Morning Brew, she got some time off before coming back in a one-mile maiden special weight Oct. 20, finishing second by a neck.

“What we did was try to curtail her career for this target. [When] she ran the mile, she had a little bit of trouble. She actually lost a shoe in that race. We were very excited about this opportunity, until we saw Mr. Cox enter Stunner,” Sierra said. “She’s shown us that she wants distance. That’s why we targeted this race, and thank the Lord that we had the opportunity to win it.”

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group’s 1/ST business (pronounced “First”) is North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park – home of The California Crown and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, The Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group’s TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). For more information email david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com and visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.