Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
3-year-olds in stakes spotlight
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Three-year-olds take their turn Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where an 11-race card that starts at noon Eastern will peak with the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man as race 10. But before then, four other stakes will be run. All five are for 3-year-olds.
Here’s a rundown of the supporting events:
$75,000 Limehouse (race 2, 12:35)
Final Jeopardy was under consideration for the one-mile Mucho Macho Man before trainer Jason Servis opted instead for the six-furlong Limehouse. The race will be just the second start for the Street Sense colt, who blew away the opposition in his career debut here last month at the same distance.
Owned by Gary and Mary West, Final Jeopardy will have Nik Juarez back aboard when he breaks from post 6 as a prime contender in a field of seven. Servis, as many horseplayers know, has become one of the most reliable trainers on the continent, having achieved career highs in 2018 in wins (143), win percentage (32), and stable earnings ($7.5 million).
Other main players in the Limehouse include Combination, third in the Buffalo Man here last month in his second career out; Mercusio, shipping in from Tampa Bay Downs off a runner-up finish in the Inaugural Stakes three weeks ago; and Splicethemainbrace, a capable Parx shipper for Butch Reid.
$100,000 Ginger Brew (race 5, 2:05)
Last year, Graham Motion dominated the early-meet stakes for 3-year-old turf fillies when Thewayiam swept the Ginger Brew, Sweetest Chant, and Herecomesthebride after failing to win the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante at Del Mar in her final start at 2.
Motion will be looking for a similar start to 2019 as Pivottina, who like Thewayiam came to the U.S. from France, comes favored in the Ginger Brew in her seasonal debut. She breaks from post 1 under Javier Castellano in this 7 1/2-furlong grass fixture.
Motion said the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf was considered for Pivottina before he waited instead for the Jimmy Durante at Del Mar, where the filly closed steadily to finish third as the 2-1 favorite.
“She actually ran very well,” said Motion from Palm Meadows. “I think she’s going to be better as the distances get farther, to be honest. She’s here and she’s doing well, but the one reservation I might have is the distance of the race.”
Outside of Pivottina, other top threats include Fortunate Girl and Red Rounder, the second and fourth finishers in the Wait a While here last month, and last-out winners Boxwood and What a Beaut.
$75,000 Glitter Woman (race 7, 3:08)
Ben Colebrook, who enjoyed a breakout year in his nascent training career with more than $3 million in stable earnings in 2018, is interested to see how the unbeaten Fancy Dress Party matches up in stakes company after the filly dominated lesser foes in her two starts, both in Kentucky.
“She’s done nothing wrong so far,” said Colebrook, who uses Tampa as his main winter base. “This looks like a good spot for her to make her stakes debut.”
Luis Saez will be aboard Fancy Dress Party when the dark bay filly with the huge blaze breaks from post 3 in the six-furlong Glitter Woman, the filly counterpart to the Limehouse.
Midtown Rose, with three wins, is the only other filly in this eight-horse field who is ineligible for a first-level allowance. The Saffie Joseph-trained Florida-bred will have 18-yearold Romero Maragh aboard from the outside post.
$100,000 Kitten’s Joy (race 9, 4:10)
Forgive Henley’s Joy for his clunker over the Churchill bog in the BC Juvenile Turf, and suddenly the son of Kitten’s Joy looks like he could be one of the best horses in the 3-year-old turf division this year. Trainer Mike Maker is looking for the colt to perform as well Saturday as he did in his other four starts of 2018 when he faces eight others in the Kitten’s Joy, the male counterpart to the Ginger Brew.
“He was very successful as a 2-year-old,” said Maker. “Hopefully we can keep the fun rolling in his 3-year-old year.”
Off a 4 1/2-length victory in the Pulpit here last month, Henley’s Joy will be a decisive favorite when he breaks from post 9 with Tyler Gaffalione back aboard for this 7 1/2-furlong race. Louder Than Bombs, third in the Pulpit, seems the most likely upsetter if Henley’s Joy stubs his toe.