Gulfstream: She Takes Heart Seeks a Little Fun in Saturday’s Added Elegance

By David Joseph —-

She Takes Heart Seeks a Little Fun in Saturday’s Added Elegance
Archer Road Targets Co-Featured Copingaway Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – She Takes Heart was claimed for $62,500 by Ron Paolucci May 10, a couple months before the colorful operator of Loooch Racing Stables lost heart and voiced his plan to walk away from horse ownership in the near future.

She Takes Heart will have the opportunity to inject a little fun back into Paolucci’s racing life at Gulfstream Park Saturday, when she is scheduled to face six rivals in the $75,000 Added Elegance, a seven-furlong stakes for fillies and mares.

The Peter Walder-trained 5-year-old mare will seek to rebound from an off-the-board finish in the June 30 Princess Rooney (G2) in her first start for her new connections.

“She was working up a storm. She was working like she belonged in that race,” said Walder, who saddled Loooch Racing’s Sr. Quisqueyano for a triumph in the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Classic off a $62,500 claim in 2014. “The mistake I made – she was working so good without the blinkers – is we took them off. She just didn’t come out of the gate. The race was pretty much lost at the start.”

The stakes-placed daughter of Wilburn, who has won five of 29 starts, will be equipped with blinkers once again

“I’d like it much more if the race were a mile, because she is better suited when she can get the lead to herself,” Walder said. “But if she comes out of the gate and runs the way she’s been working, she’ll be fine.”

Tyler Gaffalione has the mount aboard the Kentucky-bred mare.

She Takes Heart will clash with a pair of imposing opponents owned by Pinnacle Racing Stable – Peter Fawkes-trained Sweet Tooth Haven and Kathleen O’Connell-trained Bella Vincenza.

Sweet Tooth Haven enters the Added Elegance off a solid second-place finish behind O’Connell-trained Stormy Embrace, who went on to captured the Princess Rooney, earn a fees-paid berth in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Churchill Downs.

“I thought it was a good race. She wasn’t going to outrun the winner, but she ran a great race against her off the layoff,” said Fawkes, whose filly finished a half-length behind Stormy Embrace in the May 13 Musical Romance Stakes off an eight-month layoff. “I expect every bit as good of a race or better. I think it will only take as good a race as she ran last time to win this race.”

The 4-year-old daughter of Vineyard Haven has been lightly raced while winning three of nine career starts.

“I think she has a future,” Fawkes said. “Like most racehorses, she’s had minor setbacks, nothing bad.”

Miguel Vasquez has the return mount aboard Sweet Tooth Haven.

Bella Vincenza, whom Pinnacle owns in partnership with Stein Racing, enters the Added Elegance off back-to-back optional claiming allowance wins. The vastly improved 4-year-old daughter of Biondetti has finished first or second in seven consecutive starts since being transferred from turf to dirt.

Luca Panici has will seek his third straight victory aboard Bella Vincenza.

Doritza, Faith N Hope, Amaluna and Schmiss round out the field.

Archer Road Targets Co-Featured Copingaway Stakes

Long-striding Archer Road is slated to stretch out to 1 ½ miles in Saturday’s co-featured Copingaway, a starter stakes scheduled for Gulfstream Park’s turf course.

“I think he wants to go long and he doesn’t wanted to be rushed,” trainer Stanley Gold said. “I think it’s been what he’s been looking to do.”

The 4-year-old gelded son of Leroidesanimaux is coming off a third-place finish behind multiple stakes winners Conquest Sandman and Galleon Mast in the 1 1/8-mile Mecke July 8.

“There was no pace and a small field. They went slow and he was closer than I wanted him to be,” Gold said. “But if we were farther back, we probably wouldn’t have caught [Conquest Sandman] with the slow pace.”

Prior to his third-place, Arindel’s homebred gelding had notched back-to-back off-the-pace victories in optional claiming allowances.

Jeffrey Sanchez has the return mount.

Could Be is scheduled to chase his third-straight victory while making his stakes debut in the Copingaway.

“He doesn’t have to improve a lot, but he has to improve to win the race,” said trainer David Fawkes, who owns the 4-year-old gelding in partnership with Donald Roberts.

Could Be has won five of nine lifetime races, including a debut victory in a $10,000 maiden race at Gulfstream Park West last October.

“He was very immature when I got him. He was very show maturing, but right now he does everything right,” Fawkes said. “As far as determination and wanting to be a racehorse, I don’t have a horse in the barn that has the determination he has. He loves the game.”

After winning a $12,500 claiming race on turf, the son of Candy Ride came back to win an off-the-turf optional claiming allowance race last time out.

“I won’t mind if the race comes off the turf,” said Fawkes, who awarded the return mount to Nik Juarez.

Archer Road and Could Be will clash with 11 others Saturday.

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.