Gulfstream: Donut God Brings Supreme Form into Saturday’s Swale

By David Joseph —-

Donut God Brings Supreme Form into Saturday’s Swale

Mi Bago Heads Casse-Trained Trio in Kitten’s Joy

Vixen Boasts Grade 1 Credentials for Sweetest Chant

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL — Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing LLC’s Donut God likely would have been well-regarded had he been entered in the field for Saturday’s $265,000 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

A well-bred son of Into Mischief who is undefeated in two starts, including a stakes decision over a highly regarded multiple-stakes winner last time out, would have surely attracted attention from bettors for the Holy Bull, a 1 1/16-mile stakes that will headline Saturday’s program with five stakes for 3-year-olds. Instead, Donut God, will make his highly anticipated 2025 debut at seven furlongs in Saturday’s $165,000 Swale.

“This will tell us where to go from here. To me he might have a little bit of distance limitations but he’s a very fast horse,” trainer Brian Lynch said. “There’s a lot of nice races out there for a horse like that.”

Donut God made an impressive debut at five furlongs over a sloppy Churchill Downs track Nov. 14, scoring a front-running a 2 3/4-length victory that was achieved with ‘good energy,’ according to the Equibase chartcaller. He came back three weeks later to win the six-furlong Inaugural Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, prevailing by three-quarters of a length over Naughty Rascal, who had previously notched stakes victories in the Proud Man and Armed Forces at Gulfstream and who came right back to capture the Jan.11 Pasco at Tampa Bay Downs via the disqualification of highly regarded Lynch-trained Owen Almighty.

Lynch was impressed with Donut God’s showing while running back on short rest.

“He ran so well last time. He was doing so well and it was a bit of a quick turnaround for me. I normally don’t run horses back that quick but that stake was there and it was a way to get him on a trail to somewhere,” Lynch said. “The way he won it, he put us on a trail to the Swale.”

Tyler Gaffalione is scheduled to ride Donut God for the first time in the Swale.

Lynch has found no easy spot for Donut God in the Swale, which attracted six other very promising, well-connected 3-year-old prospects, including Donegal Racing’s Gate to Wire, who was graded stakes-placed in his only start on dirt. The Todd Pletcher-trained son of Munnings debuted with a victory on turf at Saratoga before finishing second in the Futurity (G3) at Aqueduct. He subsequently finished off the board in a troubled start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) at Del Mar before finishing fifth in an off-the-turf optional claiming allowance on Tapeta at Gulfstream Jan. 9.

Dylan Davis picked up the mount for the Swale.

eFive Racing Thoroughbreds’ Grayscale, WinStar Farm LLC, CHC Inc. and Sierra Farm LLC’s Gunmetal and Sonata Stable’s Maitre D all enter the Swale off impressive debut victories. Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Grayscale, a $240,000 son of Frosted, scored by 4 1/2 lengths at six furlongs at Gulfstream Nov. 16. Brad Cox-trained Gunmetal, a $410,000 son of Gun Runner, scored icy 1 1/2 lengths in his Dec. 26 debut at Fairgrounds. Doug O’Neill-trained Maitre D, a $260,000 son of Game Winner, rallied from mid-pack to graduate by 1 1/4 lengths at 6 1/2 furlongs at Turfway Park Dec. 28.

Mark Fletcher Taylor, Daniel Walters and trainer Rohan Crichton’s Macho Music and Travin Stables’ Fire Pit round out the field.

Mi Bago Heads Casse-Trained Trio in Kitten’s Joy

The Kitten’s Joy attracted a field of eight, headed by Gary Barber’s Mi Bago, a son of Vekoma who will seek his third-straight turf takes victory of the Championship Meet. Mi Bago, who had won two of his first four career starts, captured the 7 1/2-furlong Pulpit by five lengths Nov. 29. He came right back to win the mile-and-70-yard Dania Beach Jan. 1.

Mi Bago is one of three colts trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse in the Kitten’s Joy field. West Point Thoroughbreds and James Politano’s Walking in Memphis, a son of War of Will who registered a front-running debut victory at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Gulfstream Dec. 21, and Resolute Racing’s Coco Cool, a son of Omaha Beach who graduated at Woodbine while making his turf debut in his second career start before coming right back to win a first-level allowance on Tapeta at Turfway Park Dec. 6, willalso represent Casse in the Kitten’s Joy field.

Davis is scheduled to ride Mi Bago for the first time Saturday. Emisael Jaramillo has the return call on Walking in Memphis, while Irad Ortiz Jr. picked up the mount on Coco Cool.

American Racing LLC’s Test Score, who staged a wide late rally to finish a close second in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar Nov. 1, is slated for a return in the Kitten’s Joy. The Graham Motion-trained son of Lookin at Lucky graduated at a mile on turf at Keeneland in his prior start Oct. 4.

Gaffalione is scheduled to ride Test Score for the first time in the Kitten’s Joy.

BG Stables’ Charlie’s to Blame is also scheduled to ship cross-country for the Kitten’s Joy. The Peter Eurton-trained son of Blame graduated last time out at Del Mar, scoring by 3 1/2-lengths in a mile maiden special weight race on turf Dec. 1. Charlie’s to Blame had previously missed graduating by a half-length while making his turf debut in his second career start Oct. 13 at six furlongs at Santa Anita.

Luis Saez picked up the mount for Charlie’s to Blame’s East Coast debut.

Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz Dashing is slated to make his 2025 debut Saturday after concluding his 2-year-old season with a second-place finish in the mile-and-70-yard Awad Stakes over Aqueduct’s outer turf course Oct. 19. The Barclay Tagg-trained son of Tiz the Law had graduated at six furlongs on turf at Aqueduct in his debut in his prior start.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez, who was aboard for both races, has the return call.

West Point Thoroughbreds, Blue Devil Racing Stable and Edwin Barker’s Maui Strong and Chester Bishop and partners’ Enterdadragon round out the field.

Vixen Boasts Grade 1 Credentials for Sweetest Chant

The Sweetest Chant attracted eight fillies, including the Casse-trained Vixen, who is scheduled to make her 2025 debut after finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf (G1) at Del Mar Nov. 1. D. J. Stable LLC and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ daughter of Vekoma entered the Breeders’ Cup off a close-up second in the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine.

Velazquez has the return mount on Vixen.

JWS Racing LLC, Jeff Berk, David Grund and Amanda Oster’s Origami looms as a formidable contender looking to her Dec.1 U.S. debut in the Cecil B. DeMille (G3) at Del Mar. The Jack Sisterson-trained daughter of Sioux Nation overcame early bumping to finish third in the mile turf stakes. She had won one of three starts in Ireland leading up to her U.S. debut.

Gaffalione has the call for the Sweetest Chant, which will kick off Saturday’s stakes action in Race 4.

Larry Johnson and R. D. M. Racing Stable’s Sail Theseven Seas enters the Sweetest Chant off a four-length maiden special weight victory at Laurel Park going 1 1/16 miles on turf, but brings considerable stakes experience into the race. The Michael Trombetta-trained daughter of Street Sense placed in three consecutive stakes at Colonial Downs and Laurel prior to graduating.

Horacio Karamanos has the return mount.

Calumet Farm’s Correto will seek to improve off a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Jan. 4 Ginger Brew, in which she was involved in a pace-setting duel before weakening to fifth. The Graham Motion-trained daughter of English Channel broke her maiden at first asking at Kentucky Downs before finishing third in the Miss Grill (G2) at Aqueduct and a troubled seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Del Mar.

Calumet Farm will also be represented in the Sweetest Chant by Rusty Arnold-trained Fixin to Bee, who finished sixth last time out in the Ginger Brew.

Ortiz is scheduled to ride Correto for the first time Saturday, while Saez is named on Fixin to Bee.

Ken Ramsey’s Ramsey Pond, GDS Racing Stable Inc.’s La Gioconda, and Stephen Scrunch’s Fede round out the field.

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 and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); 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.