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Life’s an Audible captures the Sweetest Chant (G3) Feb. 3, 2023, at Gulfstream Park (Coglianese)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Repole Stable’s Grade 3 winner Life’s an Audible, unraced since early March, is entered to launch her comeback on familiar ground in Saturday’s $140,000 Tropical Park Oaks at Gulfstream Park.
The Oaks for 3-year-old fillies shares top billing on an 11-race program with the $140,000 Tropical Park Derby for 3-year-olds, both scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the grass. Post time is 12:20 p.m.
Life’s an Audible, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, began her sophomore campaign with three starts at Gulfstream during the 2023-2024 Championship Meet, finishing second in the one-mile Ginger Brew Jan. 6. By Audible, one of Pletcher’s record eight Florida Derby (G1) winners, Life’s an Audible came with a late rally in her next start to win the 1 1/16-mile Sweetest Chant (G3) by a neck as the favorite.
“I thought it was great,” Pletcher said. “[She] got a little further back than we had talked about prior to the race, but it seems like she’s kind of found her groove just wanting to settle and make a late run. She really delivered a good turn of foot.”
Life’s an Audible went to the sidelines after finishing second in Gulfstream’s one-mile Herecomesthebride (G3) March 2, a neck behind Pounce, who would go on to win the Lake George (G3) at Saratoga. Life’s an Audible has had nine works since late September at Gulfstream for her return, most recently going a half-mile in 50.34 seconds over the main track Dec. 5.
Joe Bravo is named to ride from Post 7 in an overflow field of 15.
The other Grade 3 winner in the field, though uncertain to start, is Chiefswood Stables Limited’s Ontario homebred Waskesiu, who bounced back after being the beaten favorite in the Ginger Brew to register a one-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Florida Oaks (G3) March 9 at Tampa Bay Downs in her most recent race.
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Yatta enters the Oaks after beating older horses for the second time this year in a one-mile optional claiming allowance Nov. 23 at Tampa, getting up to win by a length. The Yoshida filly has been third or better in seven of 10 career starts, three of them wins, the last two against her elders.
Third in the one-mile Jimmy Durante (G3) at Del Mar to cap her juvenile campaign, Yatta drew the rail and will have the services of Jorge Ruiz, up for her most recent win as well as a third in Laurel Park’s 2023 Selima.
“I think she is stakes-caliber,” trainer Graham Motion said. “I wish this race was a mile and an eighth. I think that would help her because I think she really does appreciate a little further, but she won very nicely against older horses the last time.
“I think she is capable of getting black type here again. This is always a great spot to try at Gulfstream at the end of the year,” he added. “Jorge knows her and I think having the rail is a big help at Gulfstream. It definitely puts you in a better position than if you’re drawn way outside.”
Vive Veuve and In Our Time are both stakes winners over the Gulfstream turf. Sterling Stables’ Vive Veuve has been third or better in seven races since coming to the U.S. from Ireland, two of them Gulfstream victories topped by the 7 ½-furlong Sanibel Island March 30 on the Florida Derby undercard at odds of 16-1.
Trained by Jack Sisterson, Vive Veuve then ran third in three consecutive graded-stakes – the 1 1/8-mile Wonder Again (G2), one-mile Lake George (G3) and 6 ½-furlong Music City (G2) – and most recently closed to be second in the 1 1/16-mile Cellars Shiraz Nov. 1 at Gulfstream, beaten 3 ½ lengths by In Our Time.
“She loves the turf course at Gulfstream. She was a work short going into her last race due to the weather. She drew wide and Drayden [Van Dyke] rode her perfectly, but In Our Time beat us. I didn’t know if she’d get the mile and a sixteenth so we’re looking forward to Saturday.”
Tyler Gaffalione, up in Kentucky Downs’ Music City, rides back from Post 8.
“She’s always been one of those honest type fillies. She has all the heart in the world and puts a lot into her training and puts a lot into her afternoon efforts and she’s shown that. She’s been very consistent,” Sisterson said. “If she was to win we might get her back to the Pegasus Turf. She should run well for us on Saturday. She’s doing really well.”
The $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2) for females 4 and up going 1 1/16 miles is Jan. 25.
In Our Time was trained by Sisterson before being privately purchased by Myron Miller’s Miller Racing following her sixth-place finish in the July 12 Coronation Cup at Saratoga. The Not This Time filly won her debut for three-time defending Championship Meet leader Saffie Joseph Jr. sprinting 5 ½ furlongs Aug. 4 on the Saratoga grass, beating her elders.
Eighth in an open allowance, also against older horses, In Our Time was stretched out around two turns for the first time in the Cellars Shiraz and overcame some early trouble to notch her third win from six starts.
“She obviously had run well before she came to us. I thought we were going to make her a sprinter, but it turned out that she wound up stretching out,” Joseph said. “When we sprinted her at first she ran well, and then she ran very disappointing at Aqueduct. We brought her back here and it was kind of a pleasant surprise that she stretched out so well. This is a much tougher race this time so she’s going to need to improve again, but if she can repeat similar to last time you’d think she could be competitive.”
Edwin Gonzalez has the second straight call on In Our Time, breaking from outermost Post 12.
Kalispera, third in the Aug. 4 Pucker Up (G3) at Ellis Park; Random Harvest, unbeaten in two career starts making her stakes debut; stakes-placed Belle of Rights, Pendulum and De Regreso; Victoria’s Dancer and See You Around complete the main body of the field. On the also-eligible list are Strike When Ready, Gilded Age and Justified Strategy, seventh in the Cellars Shiraz.
