HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Larry Johnson’s Can’t Buy Love will return to Gulfstream Park Friday, bringing experience on all-weather tracks into Friday’s $65,000 Cellars Shiraz.
Claimed for $75,000 in February with a turf win on her Gulfstream record last winter, the Michael Trombetta-trained daughter of Twirling Candy enters the mile-and-70-yard stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Tapeta after adding all-weather stakes success to her resume during the summer.
A two-time winner over Gulfstream’s turf course, Can’t Buy Love finished within two lengths of the winner of the Soaring Softly (G3) at Belmont Park before winning her Tapeta debut at Woodbine in the Star Shoot Stakes. Can’t Buy Love, who has been winless in three subsequent starts, has raced primarily at sprint distances on both turf and Tapeta.
“We’re going to give it a try. There are limited opportunities this time of year for straight 3-year-olds,” Trombetta said. “She seems to like Tapeta; she’s already won on it.”
Luca Panici has the mount aboard Can’t Buy Love.
The addition of a Tapeta track at Gulfstream was welcome news to Trombetta.
“I love it. I think it’s going to be a hit, if it already isn’t,” he said. “Plus, it will be a great option when races are taken off the turf.”
Mrs. RG Hilton’s Bellissime will bring all-weather success in both the U.S. and Europe into the Cellars Shiraz. The Brendan Walsh-trained daughter of No Nay Never, whose lone victory in five starts in Europe came on the all-weather Chelmsford track, followed up an off-the-board finish on Indiana Grand’s turf course in her U.S. debut with a victory in a Sept. 8 optional claiming allowance on Presque Isle Downs’ Tapeta surface.
The Irish-bred filly, who will be ridden by Romero Maragh, most recently finished sixth in the Duchess Stakes on turf at Woodbine.
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will be represented by Inthewinnerscircle and Mademoiselle Nova, a pair of promising fillies who have get to run on an all-weather surface.
Live Oak Plantation’s Inthewinnerscircle, who captured the Juvenile Turf for Florida-breds at Gulfstream Park West last year, won an optional claiming allowance on turf at Woodbine prior to finishing an even fourth in the Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs last time out. Cristian Torres is scheduled to ride the homebred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro for the first time.
SBH Racing LLC’s Mademoiselle Nova is scheduled to make her all-weather debut while coming off back-to-back optional claiming allowance wins on turf at Woodbine. The daughter of Into Mischief, who will be ridden by Edwin Gonzalez, will be coming off a 2 ½-month freshening Friday.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who saddled 12 winners from 21 starters at Gulfstream, Keeneland and Belmont last week, is also scheduled to saddle two fillies for the Cellars Shiraz – e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Tik Tok Famous and Peachtree Stable’s Champagne Ivy, who finished second and third, respectively, in the Sept. 4 Miss Gracie on turf at Gulfstream.
Big Lick Farm’s Puppymonkeybaby, who won a turf-sprint stakes at Colonial Downs in July; and Jon Minchello’s Competitive Speed, a multiple graded stakes-placed filly on dirt; are scheduled to make their first starts on an all-weather surface Friday.
Rounding out the field are Why Not Tonight, Free Data, Emunah and Alpha Zulu.
Gulfstream Park Press Release
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Photo: Can’t Buy Love (Lauren King Photo)
