Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
GULFSTREAM Apostle, Heaven hasmynikki work toward stakes
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Apostle and Heaven hasmynikki, a couple of talented 3-year-olds looking to get in one more stakes opportunity before the end of the season, topped the workout tab Friday at Gulfstream Park.
Apostle, with regular rider Edgard Zayas aboard, went five furlongs in 1:03.91, just coasting home over the deep and cuppy strip shortly after dawn. Several hours later, Heaven hasmynikki breezed a similarly easy half-mile in 51.03 in company with stablemate Indian Paint.
Apostle is pointing for next Saturday’s Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday, which is expected to attract a small field headed by Florida Derby winner Audible. Heaven hasmynikki will ship to Santa Anita to make her 3-year-old finale in the Grade 1 La Brea on Dec. 26.
Apostle, a son of Medaglia d’Oro trained by Eddie Plesa Jr., returned from a 6 1/2-month layoff to win a pair of one-mile races on the dirt before switching to the turf and finishing a troubled fifth in the Showing Up Stakes last month at Gulfstream Park West.
“We ran him in the turf race just to find out if he liked it or not,” said Plesa. “And I didn’t think he ran that bad considering it was a bulky field and he’s a big, free-running horse who didn’t have the cleanest of trips. After the race, we pretty much decided to go in the Harlan’s Holiday. He deserves the opportunity, and we figured it would be a little easier running in this type of race now than later on in the meet. We need to step up and find out where we are with him.”
Plesa said he was quite happy with Apostle’s breeze on Friday despite the relatively slow final time.
“The track was definitely on the slow side this morning, although truthfully the time doesn’t really matter with him at this point,” said Plesa. “What’s important is that Edgard loved the way he went. He’s doing well. All I’m asking for is a fast pace because he is a big, plodding kind of horse.”
The Harlan’s Holiday is one of five graded stakes to be run here next Saturday, along with the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale, Grade 3 Rampart, Grade 3 Sugar Swirl, and Grade 3 My Charmer, and could serve as a prep for the $9 million Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 26.
Heaven hasmynikki is back at Gulfstream Park with trainer Anthony Quartarolo, with whom she started her 3-year-old campaign here last winter. Heaven hasmynikki finished fourth in the Grade 3 Forward Gal and third in the Grade 2 Davona Dale during the 2017 Championship meet, and was ninth, beaten nearly 15 lengths by division leader Monomoy Girl, in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. She was subsequently given most of the summer off before being transferred to Gary Johnson in Ohio, where she won 3 of 4 starts, including statebred stakes at Thistledown and Mahoning Valley.
“She had a few little issues which forced us to stop on her and get straightened out,” said Quartarolo. “When she was ready to come back, we felt it would be in her best interests to send her to Ohio and let her run against her own kind for a while to get her confidence back.”
Quartarolo said he loved the way Heaven hasmynikki finished Friday’s work, and especially the manner in which she galloped out under jockey Albin Jiminez while easily best in company with the stakestested mare Indian Paint.
“We’ll work her once more here before sending her to California,” said Quartarolo. “I think shortening her up has been the right move – six or seven furlongs is probably her best distance. She’s been very happy, on her toes, doing really good since she’s come back to us here.”
Allowance feature gets 10
A field of 10 fillies and mares will contest Sunday’s $48,000 optional-claiming feature, topped by stakes winner Peach of a Gal and the New Yorkbred Conquest Hardcandy. The main event is carded at 1 1/16 miles on turf.
Peach of a Gal defeated 3-year-olds in upsetting the Christiana Stakes late last spring at Delaware Park, but was off the board in two subsequent stakes tries at Woodbine.
Conquest Hardcandy is back in the barn of trainer Antonio Sano after spending much of the summer and early fall in New York to compete against statebreds under the tutelage of Jim Ryerson. Conquest Hardcandy, runner-up in the Powder Break and Christmas Past stakes here earlier in the year, figures to have a pace advantage and may stand some catching reuniting with jockey Luis Saez.