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Pick Pony | Sept. 19, 2024, 7:08 p.m.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is hoping for a strong showing on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. He's set to saddle four horses for the $100,000 Ginger Punch in an attempt to defeat Victor Barboza Jr.-trained Majestic Venezuela, the 7-2 morning-line favorite in a field of 12 fillies and mares (and one also-eligible) gathered for the 1 1/16-mile stakes on turf.
The Ginger Punch is one of four stakes on Saturday’s program, including the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In $220,000 Princess Rooney (G3). The first race post is at 12:55 p.m. for the 11-race program. All four stakes are included in Saturday’s 20-cent Rainbow 6.
Joseph, a 10-time training title winner at Gulfstream, will be represented by Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson’s Towser, rated second at 4-1; Miller Racing LLC’s Angel Nadeshiko, Skymac Stables LLC and Stefania Farms’ Show Off, and Michael Ryan’s Violet Gibson.
Towser finished a close third on the turf in the Monroe three starts back before finishing a distant seventh in the Powder Break on Tapeta. In her most recent start, the 5-year-old daughter of Into Mischief was involved in the early pace before fading to third in an off-the-turf optional claiming allowance.
“Towser needs the turf. Unfortunately, it’s been rained off a couple times. She doesn’t have a long, sustained run on Tapeta,” Joseph said. “Grass will help her if it stays on.”
Angel Nadeshiko finished two lengths behind Towser and came in third place in the Monroe race on turf. She then finished ahead of her stablemate in the Powder Break race on Tapeta, also securing a third-place finish. In her latest race, the 5-year-old daughter of Carpe Diem set the pace but faded in the Ladies Marathon at Kentucky Downs.
“Last time, we got a little ambitious. We wanted to try her in that spot going a distance and she got a little tired, maybe outclassed,” Joseph said. “Back in this class, she should be very competitive. She should be one of the favorites.”
Violet Gibson, who debuted with a victory over Gulfstream’s turf in 2023, came off a long idle to win her 2024 debut, rallying from far back to win a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance on turf at Gulfstream in July.
“She won nicely last time off the layoff. We kind of waited for this race,” Joseph said. “We know she runs well fresh and maybe we can get a stakes win on her resume.”
Show Off finished fourth, trailing Majestic Venezuela by two lengths in the Aug. 3 Miss Gracie.
“Show Off ran OK last time. She’s probably a notch below. It would probably enhance her chances if it’s rained off,” Joseph said.
Drayden Van Dyke will ride Towser, Joe Bravo will be on Angel Nadeshiko, Edgard Zayas will ride Violet Gibson, and Teshawn Hazelwood will be aboard Show Off.
Majestic Venezuela has never finished off the board in eight career starts, showing equal talent on turf and Tapeta. The Barboza-trained horse broke her maiden on Tapeta and then won an optional claiming allowance on turf. In her stakes debut in the Martha Washington on Tapeta, she finished second after closing from far back. In her latest race on turf, the daughter of Mendelsohn stalked the pace before drawing clear by nearly two lengths.
Emisael Jaramillo will ride Majestic Venezuela, who will face older fillies and mares for the first time on Saturday.
Royalight Racing LLC’s Charlie’s Wish has also proven to be versatile, winning the 2023 Azalea on dirt and the Distaff for Florida-breds on turf at Tampa Bay this year. The 4-year-old daughter of First Dude recently finished third behind Beth’s Dream, a leading contender in Saturday’s Princess Rooney (G3).
Trainer David Fawkes has assigned the return mount aboard Charlie’s Wish to Miguel Vasquez.
Dave McGinn’s Chick’s Shadow and Douglas Self’s Swoonatra, who finished 1-2 in an overnight handicap on Tapeta last time out, and Sterling Stable and David Grund’s Boston Rose, who will make her stakes debut after winning back-to-back on Tapeta by a combined 10 ¼ lengths in her last two, are also entered in the well-balanced field.
Teresa and David Palmer’s Cindylouwho, Ken Ramsey’s Strand of Gold, Paterpop Racing LLC’s Katies a Lady, and BG Stables’ Friendlypersuasian (also-eligible) round out the field.
Virginia Gamble's Beth's Dream is set to return to graded-stakes competition in Saturday's $220,000 Princess Rooney (G3) at Gulfstream Park. It's an ideal opportunity for the 6-year-old mare to challenge herself in graded-stakes races, especially as she's currently on a four-race winning streak.
The Victor Barboza Jr. trainee finished off the board in the 2022 Molly Pitcher (G3) at Monmouth, which was her only graded-stakes appearance. She is scheduled to compete against Soul of an Angel, a mare with much more experience in graded stakes, in a field of 10 fillies and mares gathered for the seven-furlong stakes. This race has been designated as a 'Win and You’re In' Breeders’ Cup Challenge race.
The winner of the Princess Rooney will secure a fee-paid spot in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
“At the end of last year, I told the owner the best thing for the mare was to send her to the farm. In January, I checked on her and she was good for the comeback to the track,” Barboza said. “Since she’s come back to the track, she’s been magnificent.”
Beth’s Dream, rated second at 9-5 on the morning line behind 8-5 favorite Soul of an Angel, has been nothing short of perfect since returning to action in March off a seven-month layoff. The daughter of Jess’s Dream started her impressive four-race winning streak by capturing an optional claiming allowance despite being under pressure throughout the mile run. She came back to score an off-the-pace 3 ¾-length triumph in the Mo’ Green Handicap before taking the My Pal Chrisy Handicap with a 2 ¾-length front-running victory.
After winning three straight one-turn mile features, Beth’s Dream cut back to the seven-furlong Princess Rooney distance for the Sheer Drama Handicap. Carrying highweight of 125 pounds, she scored an impressive four-length victory under Emisael Jaramillo in her dress rehearsal for Saturday’s Grade 3 feature.
“For me, the filly is much better at the mile – one mile, one turn. I needed in the Sheer Drama to check on the mare for moving to the seven furlongs for the next time in the Princess Rooney,” Barboza said. “She was very impressive to me -- the way she ran, the way she finished.”
Although Beth’s Dream is rated second-best on the morning line, Barboza isn’t looking to finish second in the Princess Rooney for a third time. The Venezuela native saddled back-to-back Princess Rooney runners-up – Distinta, who finished behind Curlin’s Approval in 2017, and Rich Mommy, who checked in behind Stormy Embrace in 2018,
“In the Princess Rooney, I have two seconds in the race. It’s important for me, my team, the owners. It’s my dream to win the Princess Rooney,” Barboza said.
Beth’s Dream will break from the far-outside No. 10 post position.
“I like her position in the race. Outside is good for me and Jaramillo,” Barboza said.
Barboza will also be represented by Skull Stable LLC’s Battle Cry, who finished fifth behind her stablemate in the My Pal Chrisy in her most recent start.
Battle Cry, who defeated Beth’s Dream over a sloppy track in August 2023, has finished first or second in 20 of 38 career starts.
Jaramillo has the return call on Beth’s Dream, while Leonel Reyes is scheduled to ride Battle Cry for the first time Saturday. Both Barboza-trained mares are eligible for $20,000 in bonus money offered by the FTBOA to all registered Florida-breds with $10,000 going to the winner, $6,000 to the runner-up and $4,000 to a third-place finisher.
C2 Racing Stable LLC and Agave Racing’s Soul of an Angel is set to make her seventh graded-stakes appearance Saturday. The 5-year-old daughter of Atreides achieved her first graded-stakes success in the May 4 Ruffian (G2) in her first start after being privately purchased and transferred to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The Kentucky-bred mare rallied from off the pace before drawing clear by 4 ¾ lengths.
Soul of an Angel finished fifth in the Ogden Phipps (G1) at Saratoga in her second start for her new connections but came within a head of upsetting champion Idiomatic in the Molly Pitcher (G3) at Monmouth Park in her next start. She finished a distant third in the Personal Ensign (G1) at Saratoga last time out.
“She’s a big grand mare who’s very sound and runs hard,” Joseph said. “We bought her to cut her back in distance, and then she won the Ruffian, which was a nice surprise, and we never got to run her one turn again. We tried her in the race at Saratoga. She ran off the board there. We ran her in the Molly Pitcher, and she ran so well, we tried it one more time. We’re very keen to cut her back. Ideally, we’d prefer a one-turn mile, but we’re interested in seeing how she runs at seven-eighths.”
Drayden Van Dyke is slated to ride Soul of an Angel for the first time in the Princess Rooney.
Joseph is also scheduled to be represented in the Princess Rooney field by Vegso Racing Stables Inc.’s Imonra, a Grade 3-placed daughter of Violence who will be equipped with blinkers for the first time.
“Hopefully, [blinkers] will help her get a little more into the race,” Joseph said. “She’s not impossible to win it.”
Joseph reported that Haulin Ice, his third entry, will not run.
Rodney Lundock’s Maryquitecontrary, who raced in traffic before finishing second behind Beth’s Dream in the Sheer Drama, is rated third at 6-1 on the morning line for the Princess Rooney, which she came within a half length of winning last year while finishing second behind Three Witches. The 4-year-old daughter of First Dude went on to defend her title in the Rampart to open the 2023-2024 Championship Meet at Gulfstream.
Maryquitecontrary, who won the 2023 Inside Information (G2) before finishing second in the Madison (G1) at Keeneland, has gone winless in her last five starts while finishing on the board in four of those races.
Edgard Zayas has the call on the Eddie Plesa Jr. trainee.
Abel Rangel’s Pacholli, a Group 1 winner in Peru, is scheduled to make her U.S. debut in the Princess Rooney for trainer Hernan Parra. The 6-year-old mare has been idle since finishing far back in the Godolphin Mile (G2) March 30 in Dubai.
Stakes-placed during the Royal Palm Meet, CJ Thoroughbreds and RAF Productions’ Cousin Kristi enters the Princess Rooney off a front-running victory in an optional claiming allowance for New York-breds at Saratoga.
California Racing Partners’ Unsolved Mystery and Gandolfi Stables and El Herraje LLC’s Gallop d’Hermes, both of whom are coming off optional claiming allowance victories, round out the field.
The road to the Breeders' Cup will pass through Gulfstream Park next Saturday, as a field of 10 is set to compete in the $220,000 Princess Rooney Invitational (G3).
The seven-furlong stakes for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, is a designated "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Challenge Race. The winner will receive a fees-paid berth in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) on November 2 at Santa Anita.
Soul of An Angel is entering the Princess Rooney race after finishing third in the Aug. 23 Personal Ensign (G1) at Saratoga due to a slow start. After finishing sixth in the March 9 Azeri (G2) at Oaklawn, she was purchased privately and transferred to Joseph. The 6-year-old daughter of Atreides won her first race at Aqueduct, the Ruffian (G2), by 4 ¾ lengths. After a fifth-place finish in the Ogden Phipps (G1), she narrowly lost to champion Idiomatic in the Molly Pitcher (G3) at Monmouth and finished third in the Personal Ensign.
Joseph has entered C2 Racing and partners’ Haulin Ice, who won the seven-furlong Azalea two races ago, and Vegso Racing Stable’s Imonra, a Grade 3 stakes-placed daughter of Violence who finished fourth in the Sheer Drama in her last race.
Virginia and James Gamble’s Beth’s Dream, who won the seven-furlong Sheer Drama by four lengths, will be competing in the Princess Rooney on a four-race winning streak. The 6-year-old daughter of Jess’s Dream is trained by Victor Barboza Jr., who has also entered Skull Stable LLC’s Battle Cry, a 6-year-old mare with 13 career wins.
Beth’s Dream is eligible for FTBOA’s $20,000 bonus available to all registered Florida-breds in the race, with $10,000 going to the winner, $6,000 for second place, and $4,000 for third place.
Rodney Lundock’s Maryquitecontrary, who finished second behind Beth’s Dream in the Sheer Drama after racing in traffic, is a Grade 1-placed graded-stakes winner, having captured the 2023 Inside Information (G2) prior to finishing third in the Madison (G1) at Keeneland. Eddie Plesa Jr. trains the 5-year-old daughter of First Dude.
Abel Rangel’s Pacholli, a Group 1 winner in Uruguay, is scheduled to make her U.S. debut in the Princess Rooney, Hernan Parra trains the 6-year-old mare who has gone unraced since finishing off the board in the Godolphin Mile (G2) at Meydan.
CJ Thoroughbreds and RAF Productions LTD’s Cousin Kristi, a New York-bred allowance winner at Saratoga last time out for trainer Cam Gambolati; California Racing Partners and partners’ Unsolved Mystery, an allowance winner at Colonial Downs in her 2024 debut for trainer Jorge Delgado; and Gandolfi Stables and El Herraje LLC’s Gallop d’Hermes, a last-out starter allowance winner for trainer Dante Zanelli Jr.; round out the field.
The Princess Rooney will be supported on next Saturday’s program by the $100,000 Ginger Punch, a 1 1/16-mile handicap on turf for fillies and mares; the $95,000 Bob Humphrey Turf Sprint, a five-furlong turf dash for 3-year-olds and up; and the $95,000 Aventura, a mile stakes for 2-year-olds.
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