Miss Mary Nell. (Lauren King)
Mandatory Payout of Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Set for Saturday
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A P Stable and Fox Tale Racing Stable’s Bellavinino and Ken Ramsey’s Ramsey Pond will enter Saturday’s $95,000 Our Dear Peggy at Gulfstream Park coming off strong out-of-town performances.
The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained duo is scheduled to take on 10 other 2-year-old fillies in the mile turf stakes that will anchor an 11-race program as well as headline the 20-cent Rainbow 6 sequence on a mandatory payout day.
Bellavinino finished second in the $1 million Juvenile Fillies at Kentucky Downs Sept. 8, while Ken Ramsey’s Ramsey Pond graduated impressively Sept. 11 also at Kentucky Downs.
While both fillies would appear to be formidable contenders in the Our Dear Peggy, solid form lines at Kentucky Downs, which conducts races around an oddly configured racetrack over a non-traditional turf, don’t always translate to strong performances on a conventional turf track.
“They’ve run well here already, so that obviously gives us confidence,” Joseph said.
Bellavinino was purchased privately following her impressive July 28 debut victory by 4 ¾ lengths on turf at Gulfstream. The daughter of Get Stormy finished fourth in a 6 ½-furlong allowance following a wide trip at Kentucky Downs Aug. 29. She came right back a little more than a week later at Kentucky Downs to finish second in the mile Juvenile Fillies behind May Day Ready. May Day Ready remained undefeated in three starts next time out in the Oct. 4 Jessamine at Keeneland.
“To see that horse come back and win at Keeneland makes you feel good,” Joseph said.
Drayden Van Dyke is scheduled to ride Bellavinino for the first time in the Our Dear Peggy.
Ramsey Pond debuted July 19 at Gulfstream Park, finishing second by a neck after being steadied early, rallying to take the lead in the stretch and ducking out approaching the wire. After finishing fourth at Kentucky Downs Aug. 25, the daughter of Divisidero came back to graduate by 4 ¾ lengths at a mile Sept. 11 at Kentucky Downs.
“She was very impressive first time out. She got beat but she pulled herself up basically. Second time out she didn’t really run well. We put blinkers on her and she really showed up,” Joseph said. “We brought her back quickly and she ran well. She’s a filly with a lot of potential.”
Edgard Zayas, who was aboard for her debut, returns to the saddle Saturday.
Palm Beach Racing LLC’s Miss Mary Nell has also proven herself on Gulfstream’s turf, over which she graduated by 3 ½ lengths Aug. 10. Her lone victory was the daughter of Girvin’s only start on turf in five career races. She raced evenly on dirt in her first two starts prior to her graduation on turf. She finished fourth in the Hallandale Beach at a mile on dirt Sept.14 before finishing third on Tapeta in her most recent start.
“The filly won a maiden special weight on the turf. Going on Tapeta last time, it was a little bit of a question mark coming off the turf. I think she got kind of flat,” David said. “I really like her. She handles the turf well. I decided to go into the stake, which makes sense. As long as it stays on the turf, I think she will run well. If it comes off the turf, I’ll probably take her out.”
Miguel Vasquez has the return mount on Miss Mary Nell.
D.J. Stable LLC’s It’s Witchcraft, purchased for $1.1 million at the 2023 Keeneland Sept. sale, is another filly in the Our Dear Peggy who raced last at Kentucky Downs after running well at Gulfstream. The Mark Casse-trainee, who finished second at five furlongs on Tapeta at Gulfstream in her June 22 debut, graduated in a five-furlong turf race at Colonial in her second start before finishing fifth in a 6 ½-furlong allowance at Kentucky Downs last time out.
The daughter of Tapit will stretch out to a mile Saturday under Emisael Jaramillo.
Julian De Mora Jr.’s Lemonpeppasteppa is scheduled to make her first start at Gulfstream in the Our Deer Peggy after showing promise out of town. The Jorge Delgado-trained filly graduated at first asking in a five-furlong turf sprint July13 at Monmouth Park, where she came back to finish second in the five-furlong Colleen. Most recently, the daughter of Caravaggio broke a step slowly and was bumped during a sixth-place finish in the P. G. Johnson, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes, at Saratoga.
Delgado will also be represented by AMO Racing USA’s Obliging, a debut winner on dirt at Monmouth in June prior to a pair of off-the-board finishes on Tapeta at Woodbine and on dirt at Saratoga. Most recently, the daughter of Munning’s finished third in her turf debut going five furlongs at Gulfstream.
Samy Camacho has the mount on Lemonpeppasteppa, while Edgar Perez has the call on Obliging.
Carrie Brogden, Stephen Screnci and trainer Ron Spatz’s Hello Hello Hello, who finished fifth on turf in her July 19 debut at Gulfstream, will try to prove herself on grass in the Our Dear Peggy following a pair of dominating victories around two turns on Tapeta.
Leonel Reyes as the return mount.
Other promising fillies in Saturday’s full field include Live Oak Plantation’s Paradise Wins, a Michael Trombetta-trained daughter of Bernadini who graduated on turf last time out at Laurel Park; Special Aviators LLC and Span Investment’s Special Aviator, a Rohan Crichton-trained daughter of Global Campaign who scored a 3 ¾-length debut victory on Tapeta last time out; and Amy Dunne and trainer Patrick Biancone’s Unchained Elaine, a daughter of American Pharoah who was an also-ran at Kentucky Downs last time out.
Teresa and David Palmer’s Brenna and Stretch Run LLC’s Hot Dream round out the field.
