Gulfstream Stakes Previews: G2’s Davona Dale, Mac Diarmida

By David Joseph —-

Photo by Janet Garaguso

Champion Filly Vequist Returns to Action in $200,000 Davona Dale (G2)

Among Nine Stakes Worth $1.475 Million on Fountain of Youth Day Program

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swilcan Stable’s Vequist, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2020, is set to launch her highly anticipated sophomore season against 11 rivals in Saturday’s $200,000 Davona Dale (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

The 34th running of the one-mile Davona Dale is part of a blockbuster 14-race program featuring nine stakes, eight graded, worth $1.475 million in purses anchored by the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) for 3-year-olds on the road to the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa March 27.

First race post time is 11:30 a.m.

Named for Calumet Farm’s champion 3-year-old filly of 1979 that was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1985, the Davona Dale is Gulfstream’s next stop for sophomore females toward the $200,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) March 27. Last year’s Oaks winner, Swiss Skydiver, went on to beat males in the Preakness (G1) and be named 3-year-old filly champion.

Vequist, the 7-5 favorite in the Davona Dale, is the latest in a family of champions. Her sire, Nyquist, was named North America’s top juvenile male in 2015 and followed up by winning the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby (G1) in 2016. Vequist’s grandsire, Mineshaft, earned 2003 Eclipse Awards for older male and Horse of the Year.

Her title was the first for her trainer, Parx-based veteran Robert E. ‘Butch’ Reid Jr., approaching his 800th victory in a career that began in 1985. He and his wife and assistant, Ginny, have been overseeing Vequist’s preparation at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

“It was a box that I was never sure that I would check, training a champion, so it was nice to get that accomplished,” Reid said. “She’s doing really well. We’re very happy with her. She’s acclimated to the weather down here. We’ve been down here a couple of months already, so we’ve taken our time and so far, so good.”

Vequist will be cutting back for her first race since a two-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland, a span of 114 days. She has breezed every other week since mid-January for her return, most recently going five furlongs in 59.65 seconds Feb. 13, second-fastest of 30 horses.

“I expect her to run well,” Reid said. “We don’t have the screws completely tightened for this one but it should be a nice stepping-stone with some big races down the line in mind.”

The Davona Dale offers 85 qualifying points (50-20-10-5) to the Kentucky Oaks (G1), scheduled for April 30 at Churchill Downs. Vequist is currently fourth in the standings with 24 points, all but four of them coming from her Breeders’ Cup triumph.

Following the Breeders’ Cup, the connections gave Vequist a breather at noted horseman Dr. Barry Esiaman’s farm near Ocala, Fla. before she returned to Reid to begin preparations for her 2021 campaign.

“After the Breeders’ Cup we wanted to get three starts in her and have the [Kentucky] Oaks be her third start of the year. This just fit well,” Reid said. “It’s a one-turn mile, a little bit of a turn back, but we didn’t want to go back any further than that. We didn’t have to train her too hard for this one, and she’s coming up to it well.”

Vequist made her career debut last July for Swilcan’s Tom McGrath, running second by a nose after chasing the winner, fellow first-time starter Niente, from the gate in a 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight at Parx. Barber and Adam Wachtel saw enough to buy into the promising filly, who romped by 9 ½ lengths in the historic Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga in just her second start.

From there, Vequist was stretched out to a mile for the Frizette (G1) at Belmont Park, where she wound up two lengths behind Dayoutoftheoffice, another finalist for the 2-year-old filly Eclipse, and 10 ¼ lengths ahead of everyone else. Overlooked as the fourth choice in a field of seven for the Breeders’ Cup, Vequist got an inside trip at Keeneland never far from the lead and found enough room to kick clear late.

“It was a sensational year. It all happened so quick. One day we were in a maiden race at Parx and the next thing we knew we were winning a Grade 1 at Saratoga,” Reid said. “It was all a bit of a blur but, in the end, it was very satisfying to be there with my family and everything.”

Reid said he has noticed a growth in Vequist, both physically and mentally, in her time since the Breeders’ Cup. Riding for the first time is two-time defending Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. from Post 3 at top weight of 123 pounds.

“Definitely, physically you can see it. She’s bigger and she’s filled out nicely since her 2-year-old campaign,” Reid said. “She always had a good head on her shoulders, so she didn’t have too much to jump forward there. She’s just a smart filly and doesn’t worry about too much so we’re excited to get this first one under our belt.

“We’re taking it one start at a time and we’ll re-evaluate after this first start and make our plan from here,” he added. “There’s a lot of exciting races on the horizon.”

Breeze Easy’s Ontario-bred stakes winner Curlin’s Catch will be among the horses looking to spoil Vequist’s season debut. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the bay daughter of two-time Horse of the Year and 2014 Hall of Famer Curlin made her first two starts last fall on the all-weather surface at Woodbine before getting time off.

Casse moved Curlin’s Catch to the dirt for her sophomore opener Jan. 3 going a mile at Gulfstream, and she responded with a front-running 2 ¾-length triumph over next-out winner Tabor Hall. She stretched out for the Suncoast Stakes Feb. 6 at Tampa Bay Downs, rating just off the pace before splitting horses and sprinting clear to a 4 ½-length victory. She is 8-1 on the morning line.

“In the last race we had actually planned on being a little closer, but it didn’t work out that way and it was fine. She handled it well,” Casse said. “We aren’t going to be very far off of it. We are cutting back from the mile and 40 yards and two turns to one turn, so that’s a little different. But she’s not going to be far back.

“She’s two-for-two on the dirt and definitely headed in the right direction,” he added. “This will be a true test on Saturday, [to see] where she fits in with the 3-year-old filly gang.”

Jose Ortiz has the call aboard Curlin’s Catch from Post 4.

Another daughter of Curlin, Juddmonte Farms, Inc.’s homebred Millefeuille, is entered to make her sophomore debut for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The bay filly broke her maiden second time out going a mile last October at Belmont Park, and was beaten less than a length when second in the 1 1/8-mile Demoiselle (G2) Dec. 5 at Aqueduct. Hall of Famer John Velazquez gets the assignment from Post 5.

Like Vequist, Phoenix Thoroughbreds III’s Crazy Beautiful also exits the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, where she ran sixth following runner-up finishes in the Alcibiades (G1) and Pocahontas (G3). Winner of the Ellis Park Debutante last summer, she will be making her Gulfstream debut for Ken McPeek, the trainer of Swiss Skydiver. Robby Albarado rides from Post 6.

John Michello’s Competitive Speed looks to rebound off a disappointing sixth, though beaten just 4 ½ lengths after some early traffic trouble, in the seven-furlong Forward Gal (G3) Jan. 30 at Gulfstream. She had won each of her previous three starts, including the 6 ½-furlong Glitter Woman Jan. 2 to open her sophomore season. Leonel Reyes has the call from Post 7.

Also entered are Adios Trippi, winner of the seven-furlong Gasparilla Jan. 16; Lady Traveler, Wholebodemeister and Three Tipsy Chix, respectively second, third and seventh in the Forward Gal; Happy Constitution, third in the seven-furlong Our Dear Peggy last fall at Gulfstream; Pens Street, a maiden winner last fall at Gulfstream who ran second in a Feb. 4 optional claiming allowance in her only two starts; and Hindsight.

Lauren King Photo

Maker Hoping Three’s a Charm in $200,000 Mac Diarmida (G2)

Richest of Six Turf Stakes on Feb. 27 Fountain of Youth Day Program

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – It’s all about threes when trainer Mike Maker sends out the trio of Aquaphobia, Temple and Tide of the Sea in search of a third consecutive victory in Saturday’s $200,000 Mac Diarmida (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

The 26th running of the 1 3/8-mile Mac Diarmida for older turf horses is part of a blockbuster 14-race program offering nine stakes, eight graded, worth $1.475 million in purses including the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) for 3-year-olds on the road to the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa March 27 and $200,000 Davona Dale (G2) featuring the seasonal debut of 2-year-old filly champion Vequist.

First race post time is 11:30 a.m.

Honoring the Florida-bred multiple Grade 1 winner and 1978 Eclipse Award honoree as champion grass horse, the Mac Diarmida debuted in 1995 and was first graded in 1997. It is the richest of six turf stakes on the Fountain of Youth undercard that also includes multiple Grade 1 winner Got Stormy’s 6-year-old debut in the $125,000 Honey Fox (G3).

No trainer has won the Mac Diarmida more than twice, with Maker joining Hall of Famer Bill Mott (1999, 2013), Mary Hartmann (2009-10) and Tom Albertrani (2014, 2018) following back-to-back scores with Zulu Alpha in 2019 and 2020.

Want more threes? Maker also entered Thursday’s action ranked third at Gulfstream’s Championship Meet behind Todd Pletcher and Saffie Joseph Jr. – with 33 wins.

“We’ve been very fortunate,” Maker’s assistant Nolan Ramsey said. “We’ve got some great clients and we’ve had a bit of luck, so we hope we can continue on through the rest of the meet.”

Maker had 11 of the 29 nominations for the Mac Diarmida, whose two-time defending champion, an ex-claimer-turned-millionaire and winner of the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) in 2020, continues his recovery from a minor injury that forced him to miss the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) last fall.

Paradise Farms Corp., David Staudacher, Hooties Racing and Skychai Racing’s Aquaphobia became a Grade 1 winner in last summer’s United Nations at Monmouth, coming five starts since being claimed for $62,500 last winter at Gulfstream and run at the Mac Diarmida distance.

This will be the seventh consecutive race facing graded company for Aquaphobia, an 8-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway that exits an eighth-place finish in the Jan. 23 Pegasus Turf, beaten just four lengths by Colonel Liam, whose connections opted to skip the Mac Diarmida.

“He’s an old, class horse. Nothing really throws him off. He came out of the race great and has been training great since,” Ramsey said. “I thought he ran a great race. We gave him a little time after the winter, freshened him up and brought him into the Pegasus. He ran great, just had some traffic troubles down the lane. We thought it was a valiant effort so no complaints there. He’s training well. We’re looking forward to running him.”

Jose Ortiz has the assignment on Aquaphobia from Post 7 in a field of eight.

Three Diamonds Farm’s Tide of the Sea and Paradise Farm Corp.’s Temple respectively ran 1-2 in the 1 ½-mile W. L. McKnight (G3) on the Pegasus Turf undercard, separated by less than a length. It was the second straight graded attempt and first win for 5-year-old Tide of the Sea, by turf champion English Channel.

“It was a little bit of a head bob but both horses ran a great race,” Ramsey said. “They both came out of the race well and both are training great, as well, so no complaints across the board.”

Tide of the Sea has won three of his last four races, all in front-running fashion. The exception came in the Dec. 12 Fort Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream when he was rank and forced to check early, raced last of 10 for six furlongs and rallied to be sixth, beaten 4 ½ lengths, by Pegasus Turf runner-up Largent.

Temple, a 5-year-old Temple City gelding, has run second three straight times – all by less than a length – including a half-length loss when dead-heating with multiple stakes-winning stablemate Muggsamatic in the 1 1/16-mile Claiming Crown Emerald Dec. 3. Temple won the 2019 Gio Ponti at Aqueduct.

“[Tide of the Sea] can run all day,” Ramsey said. “It’s race to race, but Tide of the Sea tends to be more toward the front end and Temple likes to rate and come from behind, so their running styles kind of complement each other.

“[Temple] is always right there, just never seems to be able to punch the ticket,” he added. “ Last time was the first time we stretched him out since the first time we ran him at Kentucky Downs going a mile and five-sixteenths. He really seemed to relish the distance, so I think a mile and three-eighths will be right up his alley.”

Tyler Gaffalione has the call on Tide of the Sea from Post 3 at top weight of 124 pounds, while Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Temple from Post 1.

Amerman Racing’s 6-year-old homebred Admission Office forged a short lead in last year’s Mac Diarmida but was outrun to the wire and came up a length short of Zulu Alpha – his fifth graded-stakes placing including the 2019 Fort Lauderdale, when he also ran second. The son of 2013 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1) winner Point of Entry became a graded winner in the 1 ½-mile Louisville (G3) last June in his 2020 finale.

Admission Office returned to action Jan. 9 at Gulfstream in the one-mile Tropical Turf, finishing seventh, but rebounded with a late-running third in the Tampa Bay (G3) Feb. 6, beaten a length. Julien Leparoux rides back from outside Post 8.

Trainer Brian Lynch also entered Susan and Jim Hill’s Phantom Currency, front-running winner of a 1 1/8-mile allowance Jan. 13 at Gulfstream. It was his first start since a failed return to dirt in the Clark (G1) last November. He will break from Post 6 with jockey Paco Lopez up.

Summer Wind Equine’s homebred Moon Over Miami returns from nearly five months between starts for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The 4-year-old Malibu Moon colt has failed to hit the board in either of his previous two races at Gulfstream, one on dirt, but was a half-length winner of the 1 5/16-mile Dueling Grounds Derby last September at Kentucky Downs. He hasn’t been out since running sixth in the 1 ¼-mile Belmont Derby (G1), and will have Junior Alvarado in the irons from Post 4.

Stronach Stables’ homebred Sir Sahib, based in Canada the past two years, made his return to the U.S. in the McKnight, getting steadied early on and never racing in contention, finishing 10th. In his previous two starts, the 6-year-old gelded son of 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Fort Larned ran second in both the 1 ½-mile Northern Dancer (G1) and 1 ¼-mile Singspiel (G3) last fall at Woodbine. Hall of Famer Edgar Prado gets the assignment from Post 5.

Rounding out the field is Baciagaloop Stables’ Basha, a 7-year-old multiple stakes-placed son of champion Uncle Mo.

About The Stronach Group

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 company’s consumer facing brand 1/ST (pronounced “First”) powers The Stronach Group’s forward-thinking 1/ST Racing, 1/ST Technology, 1/ST Live and 1/ST Properties 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 drives the best-in-class horse racing operations at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, and Gulfstream Park West (Florida); and Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST Technology is horse racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX, Betmix, Monarch and XBTV brands. 1/ST Live blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality by delivering uniquely curated events such as InfieldFest and Pegasus LIV Stretch Village. 1/ST Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, work and play communities surrounding its racing venues including, The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). 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. For more information please email david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com and visit www.1st.com.