Fawkes filly needs hot pace

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The pace scenario could be the key when seven Floridabred fillies and mares square off going seven furlongs in the $100,000 Musical Romance Stakes, the main event on a 12-race card Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Trainer David Fawkes is hoping there will be plenty of pace for his stretch-running Surprise Wedding, while Ralph Ziadie would prefer that nobody pushes the speedy R Angel Katelyn early in a race that could serve as a stepping-stone to the Grade 2 Princess Rooney on June 30.

Surprise Wedding returns to statebred company off a disappointing effort against open, high-level optional-claiming opposition April 14 when finishing a distant fourth behind runaway winner My Miss Tapit. The setback was the first in three tries at seven furlongs for the daughter of High Cotton, who easily defeated both R Angel Katelyn and another Musical Romance entrant, Stormy Embrace, at that distance in the City of Ocala Florida Sire Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in her 3-year-old finale.

“She got in a lot of trouble last time, and I expect a much better effort with a luckier trip on Saturday,” Fawkes said. “There should be plenty of pace in here, and that’s what she’s going to need to run her best.”

Fawkes also will send out Sweet Tooth Haven for her first start since finishing sixth on turf in the Miss Gracie B Stakes last summer.

“She had a little vacation, has come back in great order, and she runs well fresh,” Fawkes said of Sweet Tooth Haven, who was stakes-placed here last summer over the main track.

R Angel Katelyn was transferred to Ziadie’s barn from Gerald Bennett following her Tampa Bay Downs finale, a wire-to-wire, 3 1/2-length victory against open, first-level allowance competition April 13. The triumph was the first in 10 months for the speedy 4-yearold, a five-time stakes winner who has always been tough to beat when able to stick her head in front and relax early in her races.

Stormy Embrace enters off an easy victory at Tampa, a 4 3/4-length decision over R Angel Katelyn in which she attended the early pace before readily drawing away through the final furlong. She’ll be returning to Gulfstream for the first time since capturing a highpriced optional-claiming and starter-allowance dash going six furlongs 14 months ago.

Magalie, who easily defeated Surprise Wedding when second to My Miss Tapit in her last start, and Yes I’ll Go also could have a say in the early running of the Musical Romance.

Magalie, a former $16,000 claimer, is in peak form for trainer Patrick Biancone, while Yes I’ll Go steps back into stakes company after a 7 1/4-length entry-level allowance victory in her 4-year-old debut here April 27.