Rojo Rita breaks her maiden on debut Nov. 15, 2024, at Gulfstream Park (Ryan Thompson)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A beaten favorite in the Feb. 1 Forward Gal (G3) following a troubled trip of her own doing, Kamil Ozhan’s Rojo Rita will seek a return to winning form Sunday in the $115,000 Any Limit at Gulfstream Park while, hopefully, minding her manners.
The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained daughter of Volatile has been installed as the 9-5 favorite for the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies that is carded as Race 9 on Sunday’s 10-race program, which will also feature a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool in a sequence that will span Races 5-10.
Fresh off a blow-out win in her debut at Gulfstream, Rojo Rita was favored for the seven-furlong Forward Gal, only to let down her backers and connections by ducking to the inside twice soon after the start to impede a few of her competitors. She would go on to set the pace into the stretch before fading to sixth and being placed 11th by the stewards due to her bad behavior.
“At the gap she knocked around a bunch of horses in the race. I don’t know why she did that. It was very uncharacteristic,” said Joseph. “I think in this race; she’ll be a different horse. All going well, she’ll be very hard to beat.”
Rojo Rita was a role model in her Nov. 24 debut, rating just off the pacesetter before asserting herself on the backstretch and drawing clear to win by 16 ¼ lengths at six furlongs.
Rojo Rita is one of three Joseph-trained fillies in seven-horse field, joined by Averill Racing LLC’s R Morning Brew and Steven Friedfertig and Shining Stable’s Luvumorgan
Like Rojo Rita, R Morning Brew launched her career with dominating victory at six furlongs. Unlike the Any Limit favorite, the daughter of Curlin’s Honor came through with a stakes victory in her second start, capturing the $100,000 Desert Vixen, the six-furlong first leg of last year’s FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series. Expectations for R Morning Brew before she made her first start were considerably lower, however.
R Morning Brew, who will make her 2025 debut Sunday, came back to earth in her final two starts of 2024 while finishing off the board in the seven-furlong FSS Susan’s Girl and the 1 1/16-mile FSS My Dear Girl.
“Her first couple of races were kind of a surprise that she was able to win them and show speed,” Joseph said. “We tried seven-eighths and a mile and a sixteenth, but she didn’t want to go that far. She’s back in this [six-furlong] spot, so hopefully she’ll put in a good race.”
Luvumorgan graduated with a three-length victory in her second career start at 1 1/16 miles March 2.
“I don’t know if she’ll run. I’ll take a look at it and decide,” Joseph said.
Irad Ortiz Jr. has the call on Rojo Rita, while Edgard Zayas reunites with R Morning Brew. Micah Husbands is named on Luvumorgan.
Gelfenstein Farm LLC’s Magnolia Prime is rated second at 5-2 on the morning line on the strength of her front-running victory in her Feb. 8 debut. The Victor Barboza Jr.-trained daughter of Frosted ran six furlongs in 1:10.52 to prevail by a neck.
Paco Lopez has the return mount on Magnolia Prime.
Amy Dunne and Patrick Biancone Racing LLC’s Unchained Elaine will be the most seasoned starter in the Any Limit when the daughter of American Pharoah makes her 10th career start. The Biancone trainee, who has won twice while finishing on the board five times, is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Forward Gal (G3).
Junior Alvarado has the return call on Unchained Elaine, who is rated third at 7-2 on the morning line.
Main Line Racing Stable and Avalon Racing Stables’ Hold Your Breath, who will make her second start after debuting with a victory at Parx in November; and Flying P Stable’s Melle Mel, who graduated in a $50,000 maiden test by 7 ½ lengths Feb. 9; round out the field.
