Mythical, Coliagense Photo
G3-Winning Homebred Looms Large in Florida Sires Stakes Filly Finale
Gulfstream Park Press
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – As good as Arindel homebred Mythical has been through her first season of racing – three stakes wins, one over the boys, one in a Grade 3 and the best Beyer Speed Figure of any 2-year-old filly in 2025 – her connections are even more excited about what is still in front of her.
Mythical will take another step toward reaching that potential when she tries two turns for the first time while looking to keep her perfect local record intact in Saturday’s $300,000 My Dear Girl at Gulfstream Park.
The My Dear Girl for fillies and $300,000 In Reality, each going 1 1/16 miles, co-headline an 11-race program that concludes the 44th edition of the $1.2 million Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds by accredited Florida stallions.
Trained by Jorge Delgado, Mythical indicated her ability early on and translated that into her April 17 unveiling at Gulfstream, where she romped by 8 ½ lengths in front-running fashion sprinting 4 ½ furlongs in 51.37 seconds.
“Amazingly, she’s been one of those horses that from the first time you saw her she showed you how good she is,” Delgado said. “She’s been showing signs of getting better, which is very exciting. She’s been good so far, but it looks like she can get really good.”
Mythical spent the summer with Delgado’s northern string at Monmouth Park and raced three times at Saratoga, beating males by 3 ½ lengths in the 5 ½-furlong Tremont June 5 on Belmont Stakes (G1) weekend and earning a 93 Beyer. Back against fillies for the 6 ½-furlong Adirondack (G3) four weeks later, she cruised by 3 ¼ lengths, leading again from gate to wire.
Stretched out to seven furlongs for the Aug. 30 Spinaway (G1), Mythical dueled for the lead but faded to be fifth behind two-time Grade 1 winner Tommy Jo. Delgado brought her back to Gulfstream for the FSS Susan’s Girl, also at seven-eighths, which marked her first time facing fellow state-breds.
“She had a little bit of class relief last time,” Delgado said. “She had a very busy summer in Saratoga. She won against the boys, then she won the graded-stakes and then she ran in the Grade 1. She needed some time to come back and do less.”
Under regular rider Emisael Jaramillo, up for each of her races, Mythical showed a new dimension by settling off the pace early before taking command after a half-mile and powering home a 12 ¾-length winner as the 2-5 favorite.
“She was ready for the race, and she loves this track,” Delgado said. “She’s been doing better and better every day. We’re excited to see how she does around two turns and what we can do with her from there.”
Mythical has breezed three times since the Susan’s Girl, most recently going four furlongs in 49.46 seconds Nov. 22. Jaramillo returns to ride from Post 3 at topweight of 122 pounds, two to four pounds than her rivals.
“We have confidence that she’ll be fine,” Delgado said of the two-turn test. “Every gallop and every race she’s been showing that she should have no problem doing that, but it’s not until the races when you really find out.”
While not looking past the My Dear Girl, Arindel and Delgado would like to see Mythical show enough to keep her on track to what they hope is a start in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) next spring. During Gulfstream’s 2025-2026 Championship Meet, the Jan. 31 Forward Gal (G3), Feb. 28 Davona Dale (G2) and March 28 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) all award points toward the Kentucky Oaks.
“Hopefully we can go to the Oaks. I think that’s a goal we have in the back of our minds,” Delgado said. “We want to find a race where we can get some points here, but we are focusing on this race first.”
Delgado said Mythical has a special nickname around the barn, one inspired by the filly that won the 2024 Oaks – one of her seven career Grade 1 victories – en route to Horse of the Year honors.
“We are calling her the little Thorpedo Anna,” Delgado said. “We’ll see. She’s a very talented horse but she also has a very good mind and I think that’s what matters in the end.”
MyRacehorse, Thoroughbred Acquisition Group and Miller Racing’s Love Like Lucy is the only horse in the field to have run in the previous two legs of the FSS filly series, finishing third to multiple stakes winner and English Group 2-placed Lennilu in the six-furlong Desert Vixen Sept. 6 and a distant second behind Mythical in the Susan’s Girl. Love Like Lucy’s debut victory Aug. 8 came over a pair of next-out winners – twice stakes-placed Vita Mia and William Law Jr. homebred Lady Chance, runner-up in the Juvenile Fillies Sprint Nov. 15 who returns in the My Dear Girl.
Bayou Brigid, owned by Sea Warrior Stables and trainer Heather Smullen, is entered to make her dirt debut after four races on turf and one on Gulfstream’s all-weather Tapeta course. She is the only horse with two-turn experience – graduating Aug. 8 going a mile and 70 yards on the synthetic, finishing sixth in the 1 1/16-mile P.G. Johnson Aug. 27 at Saratoga and running third in the one-mile Our Dear Peggy Oct. 25 at Gulfstream.
Completing the field are Mary Lightner-owned and trained Dare Greatly, fourth in the Susan’s Girl, and Robert Cotran’s maiden Win Bet Only.
The My Dear Girl recognizes the Florida-bred mare that was named champion 2-year-old filly of 1959. Campaigned by future Kentucky Derby (G1)-winning owner Frances Genter, My Dear Girl became a successful broodmare whose best foal to race was In Reality.
