Gunnevera breezes, points to Jim Dandy

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Gunnevera, who was given a brief freshening after finishing seventh in the Kentucky Derby and fifth in the Preakness, has begun preparing for what trainer Antonio Sano hopes will be an even more fruitful second half of his 3-year-old campaign.

Gunnevera, whose three graded stakes wins include a runaway victory in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth here on March 4, breezed an easy half-mile on Saturday in 49.40 seconds at Gulfstream Park West. He barely got out of an open gallop while covering the same distance in 51 and change the previous week.

“Very easy, very easy,” Sano said of Gunnevera’s latest work. “Next time, he’ll go four furlongs again.”

Sano said he gave Gunnevera a bit of a break after the horse bled in the Preakness.

“He’s doing very well, and right now, the goal is the race at Saratoga on July 30, the Jim Dandy,” Sano said Sunday. “It’s not definite, but that’s most likely next. The main race I have picked out for him this summer is the Travers.”

Gunnevera first gained national attention last summer after shipping to Saratoga to upset the Grade 2 Saratoga Special.

Lightstream ships in

Trainer Brian Lynch confirmed Monday that Lightstream will return to the scene of her maiden victory 15 months ago as the likely favorite for Saturday’s Grade 2 Princess Rooney. Lightstream is coming off a third-place finish behind By the Moon in the Grade 3 Bed o’ Roses at Belmont Park this month.

The Princess Rooney, part of the annual Summit of Speed card, is a Win and You’re In qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in November at Del Mar.

Lightstream completed her major preparation for the sevenfurlong Princess Rooney by working an easy half-mile in 50.21 seconds at Belmont on Sunday.

“There are not a lot of opportunities for her up here,” Lynch said. “She’s won at Gulfstream before, and it’s a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup, and obviously if she wins, it gives us a nice option for her at the end of the year. She breezed yesterday, just an easy, maintenance half-mile since she ran a couple of weeks ago.”

Javier Castellano, who has been aboard Lightstream for both of her starts this year, will be down from New York to ride the 4-year-old daughter of Harlan’s Holiday in the Princess Rooney.

Entries for the Summit of Speed program were to be drawn Wednesday. First post for the 14-race card, which includes seven stakes, is 11:55 a.m. Eastern.

Purses for all the other races here Saturday, Sunday, and July 4 have been increased by $10,000 each, providing a minimum of at least eight betting interests leave the paddock for those events.

Rainbow 6 carryover at $64,534

The Rainbow 6 carryover will begin at $64,534 when racing resumes Thursday. There will be a mandatory payout of the entire Rainbow 6 jackpot Friday, which is the end of the fiscal year in the state.

The Rainbow 6 will include races 5 through 10 on Thursday, with the main event a $31,000 starter optional claimer on turf that drew a field of eight (plus two main track-only runners) topped by likely favorite Sir Sebastian.

Florida Fuego impresses

Florida Fuego turned in one of the most impressive performances by a 2-year-old here this season when rallying to an easy five-length debut victory Saturday for the e Five Racing Stable and trainer David Fawkes.

The daughter of Kantharos, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, was a $70,000 purchase at the March Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. auction.

“She’s done everything right, she was very professional, and Tyler told me afterward he thought she’s one of the best 2-year-olds he’s been on,” said Fawkes, who said the plan is to wait for the opening leg of the Florida Sire Stakes, the $100,000 Desert Vixen, on Aug. 5.

Pink Mama remains hot

Pink Mama continued her amazing run by recording her sixth consecutive one-sided victory, a 3 1/2-length walk in the park as the 1-10 favorite under regular rider Sammy Camacho, in Sunday’s second race.

Pink Mama was haltered for $6,250 by trainer Gerald Bennett for owner Juan Cacho Castro on Dec. 28 at Tampa Bay Downs. She has won her last six starts by a combined margin of nearly 32 lengths while continuing to be dominant in the lowerlevel filly-and-mare starterallowance division.

“She has a good mind,” Bennett said. “We baby her. She has her candies, her carrots. She loves attention, and she gets all kinds of attention.

“She just has a little quirk saddling. We’ve got to saddle her on the horse path. She might even get over that now that she has such confidence in herself.”

Bennett said he hopes Pink Mama will be able to continue her success through the summer and into the fall while pointing for the rich Claiming Crown, scheduled for opening day of the championship meeting in December.