Lady Hamilton clears the field Feb. 6 and stays perfect in 2023 (Coglianese)
Gulfstream Park Press Release
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.— Peachtree Stable’s finicky Lady Hamilton, riding a two-race win streak steps into stakes company for the first time in the $100,000 Sanibel Island. She drew Post 7 and will be ridden again by Edgard Zayas.
The daughter of the late sire Lord Nelson finally made it to the winner’s circle in her fourth career start and first on turf, in a 7 ½-furlong maiden claimer on Jan. 6. She followed that success with a two-length score at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 1.
“We’re just taking a chance with her,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “She’s two-for-two on the grass. She’s stepping up in class but she’s a homebred for Peachtree so we’re going to give her a chance in the stake and see how we get on.”
Lady Hamilton has been a challenge for Joseph to figure out during the early stages of her career.
“She’s always worked pretty good on the dirt but her first dirt race was atrocious,” he said. “She works very good but she doesn’t want to run on it. Since we got her on the grass, obviously it was down in class but she’s won well twice, including when she broke her maiden and she got carried super wide and she still won.
“She’s much better on the grass,” he added. “She’s turned into a useful filly and we’re going to give her a try against these kinds of horses. She might win a stake later in the summer, but we’ll see how she is right now.”
Trainer Christophe Clement entered two fillies: Love Appeals, a Moyglare Stud Farm homebred, and Breath Away, co-owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco and Tango Uniform Racing. Love Appeals is a daughter of Speightstown who won her career debut at the Sanibel distance on Feb. 16. Joel Rosario will ride her again and they will leave from Post 2.
Jose Ortiz takes over for Rosario on the British-bred Breath Away. She won her debut race on turf on Jan. 8 and was second by a nose on Feb. 12 trying allowance company over the Tapeta surface at a mile and 70 yards on Feb. 12.
WinStar Farm homebred Aunt Shirley faces three firsts when she leaves from Post 9 with Irad Ortiz Jr. It will be her first race on turf and first start for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in her first start since the Spinaway (G1) Sept. 4 at Saratoga. Rodolphe Brisset handled the daughter of Triple Crown winner Justify in her two-race 2-year-old season. She won a five-furlong maiden race in the mud at Ellis Park on Aug. 5, but broke last and was never a factor in the historic Spinaway sprinting seven furlongs on dirt.
Mrs. Astor, an Augustin Stable homebred trained by Jonathan Thomas, broke her maiden on Jan. 29 in her third career start. She is by Lookin at Lucky out of Casual, a half-sister to Biofuel, a two-time division champion and the 2010 Horse of the Year in Canada. She drew the rail and will be ridden by Luis Saez.
Completing the field are Holly Crest Farm’s Riding Pretty; Faccia Bella, co-owned by Joseph Scurto and Brian Schiewe; NBS Stable’s Mohawk Trail; She’s a Joy, co-owned by Kevin Dole and trainer Ron Spatz; and Rocket Ship Racing’s Metaphysical, who was fourth, beaten two lengths last time out when fourth in the Sweetest Chant (G3) Feb. 4 at Gulfstream.
