Seismic Wave ready to rumble in $100,000 Appleton (G3)

March 25, 2021

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Multiple turf stakes winner Seismic Wave, unraced in five months, is set to launch his 5-year-old campaign running first time for new connections in Saturday’s $100,000 Kitten’s Joy Appleton (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The 69th running of the one-mile Appleton for 4-year-olds and up on turf is part of a blockbuster program that includes 10 stakes, six graded, worth $1.85 million anchored by the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa, one of the country’s premier Triple Crown preps.

Post time for the first of 14 races is 11:30 a.m.

Seismic Wave, by Tapit, had three wins and $368,800 in purse earnings in 16 starts for breeder Juddmonte Farms and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott before fetching $60,000 at Keeneland’s November 2020 breeding stock sale from the partnership of Michael Dubb, Nice Guys Stables and Bethlehem Stables.

In two previous starts at Gulfstream, Seismic Wave broke his maiden and captured the Cutler Bay by a neck on the Florida Derby undercard in successive efforts to open his 2019 season. He won the English Channel at Belmont Park to end the year; both stakes victories came at the Appleton distance.

Seismic Wave went winless in five tries last year with seconds to multiple graded-stakes winner Social Paranoia in the one-mile Poker (G3) at Belmont, and stakes winner Empire of War in a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance at Saratoga. Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount from outermost Post 8.

Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher’s Little Menace will also race first time for new owners after being sold for $140,000 at Fasig-Tipton’s Kentucky winter mixed sale Feb. 9 and moved to trainer Mike Maker. It will also be the 4-year-old Into Mischief’s colt’s turf debut after 11 starts on dirt.

“We bought him out of the sale. He’s bred very well for the grass and we look forward to stretching him out,” Maker said. “You’ve got to love Into Mischief, and the dam’s side has plenty of turf so we thought we’d give him a chance. He’s a stakes winner so he’s got plenty of back class.”

Little Menace has primarily been a sprinter, including a fourth to Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen stablemate Yaupon in the Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico Race Course Oct. 1 in his only previous graded-stakes attempt. He owns three career wins, including a front-running triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Grand Prairie Derby last summer at Lone Star.

“He’s been working great. He makes a fabulous appearance,” Maker said. “We’re very high on him.”

Jose Ortiz will ride from Post 6.

Sir David Seale’s Renaisance Frolic is a familiar face to Gulfstream, where he has made 18 of his 33 lifetime starts, with five wins and two seconds including stakes victories in the 2017 Armed Forces and 2018 Bears Den for trainer David Fawkes.

Renaisance Frolic was purchased last winter with the purpose of running in the Barbados Gold Cup, where he finished sixth. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., a Barbados native, brought the now 6-year-old gelding back to South Florida where he won a one-mile off-the-turf optional claiming allowance by 16 ½ lengths upon return last May.

In his lone start this year, Renaisance Frolic came from a stalking spot to win a 7 ½-furlon claimer by 1 ¾ lengths Feb. 4 at Gulfstream. It was his first start since being bumped and losing jockey Robby Albarado in a Dec. 16 optional claiming allowance, which followed a solid second at Gulfstream Park West going 1 1/16 miles.

“I thought he ran a good race last time and he’s been training really good, actually. He’s going to be a big price but I feel like he’s got a legit shot to compete and run a big race,” Joseph said. “Even the race at Gulfstream Park West was a good race. He had trouble in that one race and then came back and won. I thought in those two races he was going in the right direction, and this race now I think he’s doing even better. That’s why we’re getting ambitious.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano gets the riding assignment from Post 5.

Another Hall of Famer, trainer Roger Attfield, entered the pair of Gray’s Fable and Perfect Speighty. Charles Fipke’s Perfect Speighty, third in the race where Renaisance Frolic lost his rider, is making his 10th career start and first in a stakes. Steve Goldfine, Kari Provost and Jeff Zlonis’ Gray’s Fable is four-for-five in the money at Gulfstream but hasn’t raced since last September.

Frostmourne, third last out in the Tropical Turf (G3) Jan. 9 at Gulfstream, Forever Mo and Ever Dangerous round out the field.

Gulfstream Park Press Release

Photo: Seismic Wave, (Coglianese)

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