Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Improving Zofelle takes on Got Stormy in Honey Fox
Zofelle kicked off her 5-yearold campaign with a strong two-length victory in the Grade 3 Marshua’s River Stakes last month at Gulfstream Park. Trainer Brendan Walsh believes that is just the start of what could be a big year for the 5-year-old Irish-bred mare.
Zofelle will take on a seemingly stronger group of female turf runners – including the multiple Grade 1 winner Got Stormy – in Saturday’s Grade 3, $125,000 Honey Fox Stakes, a mile race which goes as race 11 on Gulfstream’s 14-race card.
A bullet-laden work tab earned Zofelle favoritism in the Marshua’s River, a race in which she took advantage of a strong early pace to outfinish Sweet Bye and Bye. Zofelle earned a career-best 94 Beyer Speed Figure. It was her first start in seven months.
“She was working great coming up to the last race,” Walsh said. “We thought she’d run big, but you’re always kind of up in the air with works. She seems to be a different filly this year, a better filly.”
Walsh has not sought the same fast works for Zofelle for this start as she was producing prior to her return.
“She’s fit, she doesn’t need to do too much,” Walsh said. “Her works have been pleasing ever since she ran. She’s going into it with no excuse from a conditioning standpoint.”
Tyler Gaffalione rode Zofelle in the Marshua’s River, but Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride her in the Honey Fox. That’s because Gaffalione is the regular rider of Got Stormy, who after being purchased at auction last November by Spendthrift Farm was returned to trainer Mark Casse for a 6-year-old campaign. Casse had previously trained her for Gary Barber.
“I’ve said all along, as long as the turf is very firm she can get a mile, but a mile is a stretch for her,” Casse said. “Down at Gulfstream, where the turns are pretty quick, I think she’ll be just fine going a mile.”
Ricetta is an interesting price play for trainer Bill Mott. She hasn’t run since finishing sixth in the Saratoga Oaks at 1 3/16 miles last August. Her two wins in Europe, both for John Gosden, came at a mile or shorter.
“Hopefully, the shortening in distance will help,” Mott said. “She’s training really well.”
Mott has won the Honey Fox eight times.
Jakarta, trained by Mike Maker, will most likely try to wire this field under Kendrick Carmouche.
Feel Glorious was an allowance winner at Gulfstream Park in March 2019 in her U.S. debut.
The Very One
Antoinette has proven successful on turf and dirt but seems at her best when she dictates terms in marathon grass races.
She looks positioned to do exactly that when she kicks off her 4-year-old campaign in Saturday’s Grade 3, $125,000 The Very One Stakes at 1 3/16 miles.
Antoinette won the Saratoga Oaks last August at 1 3/16 miles before finishing second to Magic Attitude in the Belmont Oaks at 1 1/4 miles. Her trainer, Bill Mott, noted that it was “obviously a mistake” running her in the Grade 3 Valley View Stakes at 1 1/16 miles four weeks after the Belmont Oaks.
Mott said he wasn’t necessarily targeting the The Very One, but noted that the filly has been working well enough to use this a starting point.
Mott said preparing for 1 3/16-mile race off a layoff isn’t difficult to do “if that’s what she wants to do.”
“It’s the right distance, right surface,” he said.
Mott also entered War Like
Goddess, but noted she prefers softer ground.
Trainer Chad Brown has the uncoupled duo of Kalifornia Queen and Bacchanalia in the The Very One. Kalifornia Queen, a German-bred daughter of Lope de Vega, will be making her first start since October and first for Brown. Bacchanalia won her maiden over this course and distance last winter and is coming off an allowance win here on Jan. 15.
“It’s a big step to get into a stakes for her, but it’s probably the time to try it,” Brown told the Gulfstream Park publicity department. “I don’t think the distance will be an issue.”
Heavenly Curlin, trained by Casse, is more a Tapeta specialist, and is coming off a fifthplace finish in the La Prevoyante going 1 1/2 miles on turf at Gulfstream on Jan. 23.
“This is my last-ditch effort to see whether she likes another surface,” Casse said. “Her last race was okay and she’s trained much better from the last race to this race.”