XY Jet wins Smile Sprint
Stormy Embrace gets spot in Breeders’ Cup
HALLANDALE BEACH — XY Jet took care of business, while15-1long shot Stormy Embrace earned an automatic spot in the Breeders’ Cup in the two co-feature races on Saturday’s Summit of Speed at Gulfstream Park.
In the $250,000GIII Smile Sprint Stakes, XYJ et le date very call and was never threatened, capturing the 6-furlong race in 1:09.61. X Y Jet took command from the outset, breaking from the outside post sharply as jockey Emisael Jaramillo puthim right on the rail where he dispatched his seven rivals.
He finished 2 1⁄ lengths up on Reason to
4
Soar, who placed sixth after an objection was filed. Sweetontheladies was moved up to second with Petrov third.
The scenariowas similar in the $250,000 GII PrincessRooney Stakes, however itwas long shot Stormy Embrace who gained control of the race inthefar turn and drew off to a six-length win. She covered the 7-furlong race in1:21.81. RichMommy and favoriteMy Miss Tapit finished in order behind.
The win was the third in a row for Stormy Embrace and her second consecutive atGulfstream.
“She loves the Gulfstream track, and the best thing about her is she’s kind of versatile,” trainer Kathleen O’Connell said. “She can run off the pace or she can runupfront.”
With the win, Stormy Embrace earns the opportunity to run in the Breeders’ Cup Filly andMare Sprint onNov. 3 at Churchill Downs. O’Connell said securing the guaranteed spotwill alter the filly’s race plan going forward.
ForXYJet, the plan all alongwas topoint to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Though the Smile did not carry an automatic entry, trainer Jorge Navarro said that racing at
Gulfstream, where X Y Jet has won six stakes in a row, was important in getting him ready for the Sprint.
“I want to accomplish something in the Breeders’ Cup,” Navarro said. “I want to call him a Breeders’ Cup winner. That is whatwe are doing right now.”
Navarro added that the plan is to haveXY Jet make one more start before the Breeders’ Cup.
There were three other stakes races, each paying a purse of $75,000, on the Summitof Speed card. Each was won convincingly by heavy post-time favorites.
In the Azalea Stakes, AlterMoon raced in company to the outside of Starcloud in the far turn, then dispatched her rival in the stretch to win the 7-furlong affair by five lengths in 1:23.35.
Jockey Edgard Zayas, who piloted Alter Moon to the win, backed that up riding Pay Any Price to a 1 1⁄4- length win in the Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint. Pay Any Price led at every call and covered the 5-furlongs in 58.29 seconds.
Similarly, War Giant led from gate to wire to capture the Carry Back Stakes by 5 3⁄ lengths. His winning
4 time in the 7-furlong race was 1:22.85.
Saturday also marked the end of Gulfstream’s spring meet with amandatory payout of the Rainbow 6. Each winning ticket paid out $196,953.84 on a 20 cent bet.
Three trainers, Victor Barboza Jr, Todd Pletcher and Oscar Gonzalez, shared the title of meet leader with 17 wins apiece. Tyler Gaffalione took the rider’s title with 63 wins and Arindel claimed the owner’s title with14 victories.