Gun Song #1 ridden by Jose Lezcano won the $200,000 Cathryn Sophia Stakes on August 24, 2024, at Parx. (Taylor Ejdys/EQUI-PHOTO)
Pegasus World Cup Day Contenders Fill Friday Work Tab
Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $150,000
Gulfstream Today
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – R. Lee Lewis’ Grade 2-winning filly Gun Song took the first steps toward launching her 4-year-old campaign when she returned to the work tab this week at Gulfstream Park.
Trained by Mark Hennig, Gun Song had an easy three-furlong move in 38.68 seconds over the main track Wednesday, her first work since finishing second by a head as the favorite in the Oct. 26 Mother Goose (G2) at Aqueduct.
“We let her stretch her legs a little, just a real easy breeze,” Hennig said. “She came back down here from her little layoff the first week of December and we just kind of freshened her. I’ve just been going easy with her and felt like it was time to go ahead and let her at least have a little fun.”
Hennig switched up the regular routine for Gun Song, purchased for $400,000 as a 2-year-old in training in March 2023, when sending out the daughter of 2018 Pegasus World Cup (G1) winner and 2024 Hall of Famer Gun Runner.
“She’d been wanting to do something,” he said. “She’s a really funny filly. I breeze her in company normally, because if you don’t breeze her in company she’s just a real easy work horse. I wanted an easy breeze, so I left her by herself and it worked out perfect.”
Gun Song raced twice at 2 before a 3-year-old campaign that began with three starts during Gulfstream’s Championship Meet including an optional claiming allowance win in February and a fourth to subsequent Grade 1 winner Power Squeeze in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2).
From there Gun Song won the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) at Pimlico and, after finishing eighth in the Acorn (G1), won the Cathryn Sophia at Parx and was second in the Cotillion (G1) and Monmouth Oaks (G3) prior to the Mother Goose to push her record to 4-4-1 with $724,340 in purse earnings from 11 starts.
Hennig has yet to settle on a starting point for Gun Song, who he felt has benefitted from the time away.
“I feel like she filled out some, and I’ve felt all along like she’s been gradually improving. She’s grown up more so hopefully she has a big 4-year-old year,” he said. “I just want to get a little further down the road and let her kind of tell us. There’s no rush. It’s a long year.”
Pegasus World Cup Day Contenders Fill Friday Work Tabs
Millionaires Skippylongstocking and Crupi and Grade 1 winner Locked each put in their penultimate works Friday for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park.
Skippylongstocking, trained by Championship Meet leader Saffie Joseph Jr., was timed in 1:03 for five furlongs over the main track at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. The 6-year-old is being pointed to the Pegasus for a third straight year.
“His first Pegasus wasn’t that good and the last one, obviously, he got eased and pulled up. I’m hoping that this year is the year,” Joseph said. “We feel like everything is in good order so far. He has to stay well and hopefully he does. His best race is good enough to win the Pegasus.”
Joseph also sent out a pair of contenders for the $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2) for three-furlong breezes. Be Your Best, on the main invite list, went the distance in 36.40 seconds while alternate In Our Time was timed in 36.45.
Crupi and Locked each worked five furlongs on the main track at Palm Beach Downs for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Locked went in 1:01.59 with Crupi, third behind National Treasure and Senor Buscador in the 2024 Pegasus, covering the distance in 1:01.79.
Also working five furlongs in 1:00.60 for Pletcher was Grade 3 winner Raqiya, being pointed to the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf. Pletcher’s two contenders for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), Grand Sonata and Major Dude, went four furlongs in 48.23 seconds, fastest of 19 horses.
Palm Beach Downs also saw Grade 1-winning Filly & Mare Turf contender Sacred Wish, trained by George Weaver, go a half-mile in 49.50 seconds.
Grade 1 winner Win for the Money, pointed to the Pegasus Turf by Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, breezed four furlongs in 48.25 seconds on the grass at Palm Meadows, with Filly & Mare Turf-bound stablemate Papilio going the distance in 47.45. Another Filly & Mare Turf contender, Ocean Club, was timed in 47.40.
Pounce, another Casse horse aimed at the Filly & Mare Turf, went five furlongs over the Palm Meadows turf in 59.50 seconds, while alternate Ribaltagaia was timed in 1:00.90.
Filly & Mare Turf reserves De Regreso (1:01.32, five furlongs, Gulfstream) and See You Around (1:04.40, five furlongs, Payson Park) also worked Friday.
Pegasus World Cup invitees scheduled to breeze Saturday include Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan at Gulfstream and fellow Grade 1-winning multi-millionaire Saudi Crown at Payson Park.
Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Pool Estimated at $150,000
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have an estimated pool of $150,000 when racing resumes Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
Saturday’s Rainbow 6 sequence covers Races 6-11 and begins with a starter optional claimer for 3-year-olds that drew a field of seven led by 9-5 program favorite Bold N Breezy, racing second off the claim for trainer Jose D’Angelo and owner Sonata Stable. Krioyo chases a third straight win for trainer Antonio Sano, who earned his 1,000th North American win Jan. 5 at Gulfstream.
Race 7 is maiden special weight for 3-year-olds going one mile on the main track where Camp Hale looks to graduate after running second in two starts last year, both sprinting six furlongs, for trainer Ian Wilkes. Trainer Brad Cox sends Wild Conqueror, a first-time starter by 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic.
The $75,000 Sunshine Classic for Florida-bred 4-year-olds and up in Race 10 attracted a full field of 12 including defending champion Lure Him In. Secret Chat, who beat Lure Him In in a Gulfstream allowance Dec. 20, goes after his third straight win. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. entered three including Souper Watson first off the claim.
The Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
Also on Saturday’s program is the $75,000 Sunshine Filly & Mare Turf for Florida-bred females 4 and older scheduled for one mile on the grass. Maryquitecontrary, a Grade 2 winner on dirt, makes her 21st start and first on turf after two unsuccessful tries on the all-weather Tapeta. Great Venezuela has never been worse than third in eight starts, six of them wins, five coming on the synthetic.
Who’s Hot ~ ~ ~
Jockey Tyler Gaffalione tripled Friday aboard Come Dream With Me ($11.60) in Race 1, Air Combat ($7.20) in Race 6 and Lush Lips ($6.20) in Race 9 …
Trainer Christophe Clement sent out two winners, Ortus ($6.40) in Race 5 and Youknownothing ($8.20) in Race 7.
