Nine stakes from 14 total races make the March 2 card at Gulfstream Park a true blockbuster event. The highlight of the day is the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), a major Kentucky Derby prep race. Also on tap is the Davona Dale (G2) – a Kentucky Oaks prep – the grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes, and a whopping six grade 3 races.
11 horses are entered in the Fountain of Youth, led by outstanding maiden winner #7 Hidden Scroll. He will have to prove that his romping debut victory on a sealed, sloppy track was no fluke. #5 Vekoma is unbeaten in two starts and hasn’t raced since the Nashua (G3) at Aqueduct in early November. #1 Code of Honor was fourth as the heavy favorite in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes here January 5. #6 Signalman was third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and has not been seen since winning the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) on November 24.
The Davona Dale features the return of #1 Jaywalk, last year’s Eclipse Champion Two Year Old Filly who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies by 5 ½ lengths. She will face local runner #2 Cookie Dough who has not been seen since winning a pair of stakes here in September.
The Mac Diarmida rounds out the card as Race 14. The $200,000 race features a classy field of older males going 1 3/8 miles on the grass, including grade 1 winning millionaire #11 Channel Maker, who breaks from the outside. He meets fellow Ontario-bred millionaire #3 Melmich who finished third on this course here last out, his first try locally.
The grade 3 Honey Fox sees the return of #1 Precieuse for Chad Brown, who only started her once at Saratoga (second by a head) after she arrived from France, where she won a group 1. #2 Valedictorian has been top three in six of nine starts on this course. Todd Pletcher’s #9 Bellavais won the grade 3 Marshua’s River here on January 12.
The Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3) is for sophomore fillies on the grass. Norm Casse will saddle grade 2-placed #2 Belle Laura, who makes her first start since running seventh in the Breeders’ Cup. Cherie DeVaux makes her stakes debut with #3 Primela (FR), who makes her American debut. #4 My Gal Betty also makes her sophomore debut after the Breeders’ Cup; she was grade 1-placed last year.
The Very One Stakes (G3) drew a field of nine, although #9 Eskimo Kisses is entered for main track only. #3 Holy Helena seeks a return to form against recent rival #4 Semper Sententiae, who bested her last out in the La Prevoyante Stakes when the latter was third. She is one of only two mares in the race to hit the board in her last start; #8 A.A. Azula’s Arch was fourth in that race, with Holy Helena running sixth.
Other stakes include the Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes, the Canadian Turf Stakes, and the Palm Beach Stakes for three-year-old colts.
No comments:
Post a Comment