Gulfstream: O’Connell Looking for Lucky 13th in Dr. Fager

By David Joseph —-

August 4. 2022

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Kathleen O’Connell long ago established herself as one of South Florida’s most respected and successful trainers while distinguishing herself as one of the most accomplished female Thoroughbred conditioners of all-time.

The Detroit native is scheduled to saddle Stonehedge LLC’s This Run’s for You and Malcoms On the Run for Saturday’s $100,000 Dr. Fager Division of the Florida Sire Stakes Series at Gulfstream Park in search of her 13th career victory in the lucrative series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida. She will do so as the second-winningest female trainers in North American history. With 2,350 winners [thru Wednesday], O’Connell is just 28 trips to the winner’s circle shy of Midwest trainer Kim Hammond’s record and has been steadily closing in.

O’Connell, whose $45 million in purses-won is more than double the total of the all-time win leader, is a multiple-graded stakes-winning trainer. Her six graded-stakes winners include Stormy Embrace, the back-to-back winner of the Princess Rooney (G2) in 2018-2019, and Blazing Sword, who captured two legs of the 1996 Florida Sire Stakes series before going on to capture three graded stakes and more than $1.1 million. She also developed and trained Lady Shipman, who collected six stakes wins before falling just a neck short in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Keeneland.

Although O’Connell’s resume includes across-the-board successes, she clearly derives the most satisfaction while working with young horses.

“I love the babies. Some trainers are claiming trainers, and I never have been. I’ve always loved the babies. Even before I came on the racetrack, I used to break horses,” O’Connell said. “That’s always been my fondness.”

O’Connell’s Florida Sire Stakes successes include a sweep of the filly division in 2013 by Scandalous Act, an Act of Duty filly bred and owned by the late Gil Campbell of Stonehedge Farm.

“To see them develop and come around has always been my biggest satisfaction,” O’Connell said.

This Run’s for You has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in a field of 10 juveniles in the Dr. Fager, a six-furlong dash that will co-headline Saturday’s card with the $100,000 Desert Vixen for fillies. The gelded son of Khozan obviously was a fast learner for O’Connell, looking to his dazzling July 23 debut. The Stonehedge homebred produced an 11-length front-running victory while running six-furlongs in 1:10.52.

“The timing is unfortunate, but he came out of the race good and is doing good,” O’Connell said of the two-week turnaround.

Malcoms On the Run enters the Dr. Fager as a 15-1 maiden with three troubled in-the-money finishes,

“He’s my Budweiser longshot,” O’Connell said.

Father Glado Makes Dirt Debut in Friday Feature

Father Glado was entered to run in last weekend’s Bear’s Den on turf, but trainer Jose D’Angelo couldn’t shake the feeling that 3-year-old colt might be better suited to run on dirt and decided to scratch the son of Declaration of War.

Father Glado is scheduled to make his debut on dirt in Friday’s featured Race 4, a mile optional claiming allowance on the main track after showing considerable promise in five starts on turf and Tapeta.

“This horse trains good on dirt. The way he moves on the dirt, he looks like a dirt horse,” D’Angelo said. “Do I have a horse who is good on the dirt, I don’t know, but I want to find out.”

Father Glado broke his maiden on Tapeta in his second career start in December and finished third on turf in the Dania Beach a month later. He was freshened following a seventh-place finish in the Feb. 9 Kitten’s Joy (G3) on turf and returned July 3 on Tapeta with an even fourth-place optional claiming allowance finish behind Grand David, who came right back to capture the Bear’s Den.

Father Glado, who will be ridden by Sonny Leon, will face Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained Klugman, who finished third on Tapeta in the Not Surprising after winning two of four previous starts on dirt.

Friday’s Happy Hour program will get underway at 2:55 p.m. The Rainbow 6, with a guaranteed gross pool of $350,000, will kick off with Race 4.

ABOUT THE STRONACH GROUP AND 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred horse 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 CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY, 1/ST EXPERIENCE, 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 horse 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 Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series – and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes – Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the newly formed operating group for all of 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, GWS and XBTV. 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 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. 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 horse racing on and off the track. For more information, please email david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com and visit www.1st.com.