Diamond Wow Set for Stakes Debut in Our Dear Peggy Co-Feature
Papetu Starting Highweight in City of West Park Handicap
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – An authoritative winner while breaking his maiden in his recent stakes debut, Gentry Farms’ Eldon’s Prince will seek back-to-back stakes successes in Saturday’s $75,000 Armed Forces at Gulfstream Park.
The Armed Forces, a mile turf stakes for 2-year-olds, will co-headline Saturday’s program with the $75,000 Our Dear Peggy, a mile turf stakes for juvenile fillies. Both stakes will offer a $25,000 Florida-bred ‘Win Only’ bonus. The $60,000 City of West Park, a seven-furlong overnight handicap for 3-year-olds, will also be featured on the card.
Eldon’s Prince, who had finished second in his debut in a 7 ½-furlong maiden special weight race on turf, broke through with a six-length victory in the Aug. 21 Proud Man, a mile turf stakes at Gulfstream Park.
“He obviously had a good debut and we were hoping he would move forward off that race,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “He’s a horse who’s going to get better as he goes longer. He doesn’t have the quickest turn of foot but he has a lot of stamina. As he gets more distance, I think he’ll get better going forward.”
The Ontario-bred son of Cairo Prince was purchased for $280,000 at the OBS April 2-year-olds-in-training sale.
“He’s a tall colt. I wouldn’t say he’s bulky. He’s more on the leaner side, but he’s an attractive looking colt,” Joseph said.
Edgard Zayas has the return call aboard the gray son of the Tale of the Cat mare Cat’s Garden.
Harry Rosenblum’s Credibility is scheduled to follow up a sharp debut victory with his stakes debut in the Armed Forces. The Mark Casse-trained son of Nyquist stalked the early pace in his mile debut on turf before taking the lead at the top of the stretch and fighting off a strong stretch challenge to win by three-quarters of a length.
Edwin Gonzalez had the return mount aboard the bargain $15,000 purchase at the OBS April sale.
Linda Shanahan and partners’ No Nay Franklin is slated to seek to graduate in the Armed Forces after losing his debut by a neck. The son of No Nay Never broke last from the gate in a five-furlong maiden special weight race and rallied late to fall just short of winning at first asking.
Trainer Patrick Biancone awarded the return mount on the Irish-bred colt to Romero Maragh.
Wendell Yates and partners’ C My Meister enters the Armed Forces off a third-place finish in the Kitten’s Joy at Colonial Downs. The Kelsey Danner-trained son of Bodemeister previously broke his maiden in his third career start and turf debut at Gulfstream.
Miguel Vasquez has the call.
OMG Stables Inc.’s Eternal Rest and Darsan Inc.’s Night Jumper enter the Armed Forces off sharp maiden claiming scores on turf.
R.T. Racing Stable’s Southern Breeze, a maiden slated to make his turf debut Saturday, and Prostar 10 Stables Inc. and Four Horsemen Racing Stable Inc.’s T Ville, who finished third behind runner-up Eldon’s Prince in his debut; rounds out the main body of the field.
R.T. Racing Stable’s Golden Juan and Arindel’s Gilligan are main-track-only entrants.
In the co-featured Our Dear Peggy, Diamond Wow is scheduled to make her stakes debut following a front-running maiden special weight victory.
The Patrick Biancone-trained daughter of Lookin At Lucky is certainly bred to be a stakes winner, being the daughter of a half-sister to Biancone-trained Diamond Oops, a multiple-graded stakes-winning millionaire who most recently finished second in Kentucky Downs’ Turf Sprint last week.
Diamond Wow, who is owned by Biancone, Diamond 100 Racing Club LLC and Amy Dunne, broke alertly in her Aug. 28 debut and showed the way throughout the five furlongs on turf to win by three lengths.
Romero Maragh has the return mount aboard the homebred filly.
Constance Wickes and Brian Hanley’s Up Her Sleeve is set to face fillies again in the Our Dear Peggy after holding her own against the boys in the Proud Man. The daughter of Mastery pressed the pace into the stretch before weakening to finish fourth behind Elton’s Prince.
The Kent Sweezey-trained filly, who broke her maiden at 7 ½ furlongs on turf in her previous start, will be ridden for the first time by Edgard Zayas.
Elements Racing LLC’s Eiswein is set for her stakes debut after winning at first asking by 2 ½ lengths on the Colonial Downs turf course. Trainer Kelsey Danner awarded the mount on the daughter of Klimt to Chantal Sutherland.
Glen Hill Farm’s Saturday Nite Girl, who graduated by 1 ¾ lengths at 7 ½ furlongs on turf in her second career start; Joseph Imbesi’s Harper Be Good, a maiden winner on dirt who will make her turf debut Saturday; Makarena Group’s Challenge Princess, a debut winner by 3 ¼ lengths in a maiden claiming race at 7 ½ furlongs on turf; Trilogy Stable and Laurie Plesa’s David’s Rose, who graduated on dirt in her third career start by three lengths in her third race; and Noel Wilson’s Mollies Hope, who graduated in a maiden claimer on turf in her third career start; round out the field. Cammarota Racing LLC’s Queen Camilla is a main-track entrant.
Magic Stables LLC’s Papetu will carry highweight of 123 pounds in the City of West Park. The Antonio Sano-trained son of Dialed In, who captured the Carry Back three starts back, will seek to rebound from a second-place finish in the off-the-turf Bear’s Den as the 6-5 favorite following a slow start.
Stonehedge LLC’s Poppy’s Pride will receive one pounds from Papetu while making his first start since January. The Michael Yates-trained son of Khozan was a three-time stakes winner last year.
Gulfstream Park Press Release
Photo: Eldon’s Prince, (Ryan Thompson)
