Gulfstream News & Notes: Options Abound for Undefeated Sophomore River Thames

By David Joseph —-

River Thames; Ryan Thompson Photo
Gulfstream Park News & Notes

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.’s undefeated 3-year-old colt River Thames bounced out of his Feb. 1 optional claiming allowance victory in good order and will have plenty of options moving forward, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said.

River Thames, a bay New York-bred son of Maclean’s Music, romped by 6 ½ lengths as the favorite going one mile in 1:36.34 on the undercard of the $265,000 Holy Bull (G3), Gulfstream’s latest stop on the road to the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) March 29.

Next up is the $415,000 Fountain of Youth (G2), also going 1 1/16 miles, March 1. It would be the first time around two turns for River Thames, who debuted with a 4 ¾-length triumph sprinting six furlongs Jan. 11 at Gulfstream before wheeling back three weeks later.

“I was a little concerned about coming back quick off a strong debut,” Pletcher said. “There weren’t too many options. There was a mile and an eighth [race] on Feb. 27, but we didn’t want to wait that long and we didn’t want to go from six to mile and an eighth. Other options were to go in the Holy Bull at a mile and a sixteenth or the Sam Davis. When the allowance race going a mile went, it seemed like a good natural progression.

“He came back great. I’ll talk to [WinStar’s] Elliott [Walden] a little bit and see how the horse trains the next couple weeks and come up with a game plan,” he added. “We ran back in three weeks. It gives you four weeks to the Fountain of Youth from that race, eight weeks to the Florida Derby. There’s obviously other prep races, as well. We’re going to kind of just sit back and see, let him kind of guide us on when we think he wants to run back.”

The situation is similar for Donegal Racing’s Gate to Wire, rallying five-length winner of the seven-furlong Swale for 3-year-olds on the Holy Bull undercard. It was his first race on dirt after trying both turf and synthetic in four prior starts including a second in last fall’s Futurity (G3) at Aqueduct.

“Same thing, we’re weighing all our options,” Pletcher said. “I talked to [Donegal’s] Jerry Crawford [Wednesday] and over the next couple weeks we’ll decide whether to consider the Fountain of Youth or keep him around one turn one more time. The Gotham is the same day up in New York, and the Tampa Bay Derby is a week later.”

Meanwhile, Pletcher said no decision has been made on whether Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm’s Grade 1-winning millionaire Locked, most recently second in Gulfstream’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 25, would run back in the Saudi Cup (G1) Feb. 22 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh.

“We’re just kind of monitoring everything, getting a line on the field, see how he’s doing, probably give him a breeze Friday or Saturday. We’re still looking at it,” Pletcher said. “It’s back in four weeks. We’re going to wait as long as we can. We’ve done everything that we need to do to go if we decide to go.”

Pletcher said the 1 ¼-mile Santa Anita Handicap (G1) March 1 could be a possibility if Locked stays home, as could some time off.

Smullen Chasing First Stakes Win with Freedom Speaks

Reitman Stables’ 6-year-old mare Freedom Speaks, unraced since late July, will launch her fourth season of racing with a chance to give trainer Heather Smullen her first career stakes win in Saturday’s $140,000 Ladies’ Turf Sprint at Gulfstream Park.

Freedom Speaks will be racing first time for Smullen after registering three wins and one second from eight prior starts with $418,078 in purse earnings, most in the nine-horse field. The American Freedom mare was off more than a year before returning with two starts in 2024 for trainer Jose D’Angelo, both in graded-stakes.

“They were pretty good and told me a lot of stuff about her going in, and honestly she’s very straightforward. She’s an honest horse and she’s a racehorse; she likes her job,” Smullen said. “She’s classy. Those types are always a lot easier.”

Freedom Speaks was most recently seventh, beaten 2 ¼ lengths in the 5 ½-furlong Caress (G3) last July 25 on the Saratoga turf. She finished sixth in the 6 ½-furlong Hendrie (G3) 19 days earlier on Woodbine’s all-weather surface, her first race since making only one start in 2023.

“She’s probably been here two months now. She had some nice off time at the farm,” Smullen said. “She’s a very sound horse and she was lightly raced. She had time when she needed it, for the right reasons. She’s in good order now.”

Freedom Speaks has breezed four times at Gulfstream for her season debut, most recently going five furlongs on the Tapeta in a bullet 59.09 seconds Jan. 19. Emisael Jaramillo has the mount from Post 3 of nine; they are fourth choice on the morning line at odds of 6-1.

“There was no real ideal spots to start her,” Smullen said. “She’s fast but five-eighths is definitely not ideal. Five-and-a-half or six [furlongs] is better. There’s a mile race at the end of the month, but she likes her races spaced, too, so there was nothing that was just perfect timing. But she’s doing well so it was like, well, why not put her in there and see where we’re at.”

Smullen was an assistant and exercise rider for trainers Barclay Tagg and Dale Romans before going out on her own, saddling her first horse last April 28. Her first win came with Quester May 30, 2024, also at Gulfstream.

“It would be great to check [a stakes win] off the list, especially with a nice little classy mare like her that likes to do her job,” she said. “There’s some speed in there so I’m hoping she can get away from there and sit just off of it and come with a run and not be too far out the back early on.”

Champion Soul of an Angel Still on Hold for Saudi Cup (G1)

C2 Racing Stable, Agave Racing Stable and Ken Reimer’s 2024 champion older female sprinter Soul of an Angel remains in limbo regarding a possible start in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) later this month.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said the 6-year-old mare continued to be on the outside looking in for the one-turn, 1 1/8-mile event Feb. 22 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

Soul of an Angel moved up on the reserve list following the defection of White Abarrio, record-setting winner of Gulfstream’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 25 that is also trained by Joseph and owned in part by Mark and Clint Cornett of C2.

“We haven’t got in yet. We’re still waiting,” Joseph said. “She’s [first] on the reserve now. We’re kind of training her as she’s going. Everything’s in order for her, so we’re going to wait as last second as possible.”

Joseph said Soul of an Angel will breeze Sunday at Gulfstream if she gets into the field. The flight to Saudi Arabia leaves Feb. 11.

“We’re in a holding pattern,” Joseph said. “Hopefully we find out before then.”

If Soul of an Angel does not make the Saudi Cup, Joseph said the Madison (G1) at Keeneland would be her next race. White Abarrio, meanwhile, is being pointed to the 1 1/16-mile Ghostzapper (G3) for older horses on the March 29 undercard of the $1 million Florida Derby (G1).

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