Sister Troienne makes east work of the Ginger Brew Field, Gulfstream Park Photo
Gulfstream Park Press
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Woodslane Farm homebred Sister Troienne, winner of her last three starts as a 2-year-old, picked up where she left off in her sophomore debut with a popular 1 ¾-length triumph in Saturday’s $175,000 Ginger Brew at Gulfstream Park.
The 15th running of the Ginger Brew for newly turned 3-year-old fillies going a two-turn mile on the grass shared the spotlight with the $175,000 Mucho Macho Man, Gulfstream’s first step for 3-year-olds on the road to the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) March 28.
With regular rider Mario Gutierrez aboard, Sister Troienne ($2.60) covered the distance in 1:33.42 over a firm course for her second straight stakes win following the Nov. 27 Wait a While at Gulfstream, rained off the grass to the all-weather Tapeta course.
The win had special meaning for trainer Brian Lynch, who not only continued his blazing start to the Championship Meet (11-for-27, 41 percent) but also trained Ginger Brew for owner-breeder Frank Stronach to multiple stakes wins, $970,311 in purse earnings and Canada’s 3-year-old filly championship in 2008.
“It certainly is. To me, it’s really a neat thing to do, having trained Ginger Brew,” Lynch said. “As my son [Nick] gets older, who was a kid when Ginger Brew was a young mare and is now my assistant, that sort of puts everything in perspective.”
Sent off the 1-5 favorite, Sister Troienne was content to lay second as 23-1 longshot Laigina took the early initiative and ran the first quarter-mile in 24 seconds, with R Slew of Cash settled in third on the rail and Tideoftime tracking in fourth.
Gutierrez and Sister Troienne closed the gap but remained second following a half-mile in 47.87, ranging up alongside the leader rounding the far turn and edging clear through the stretch. Laigina held second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Sister Troienne’s stablemate, Storm’s Wake.
Tideoftime, Bert’s Knoty Girl and R Slew of Cash completed the order of finish. Spirit Doll, decisive winner of the Our Dear Peggy at the course and distance Oct. 25, and Bayou Brigid were scratched.
“There’s always anxious moments, but when everything sort of leveled off down the backside and she was in a good stalking position they give you a little air of confidence that she had dead aim on the leader,” Lynch said.
“In the end she ran in 1:33 and change. It’s a legit time, and she looked like she did it comfortably,” he added. “She seems to be standing up to everything. She’s a big, healthy filly and racing doesn’t seem to be taking anything out of her. If she continues to blossom, we’ll try and stay out of her way.”
Sister Troienne now has four wins and a third, that coming in her late August debut, from five starts with $300,509 in purse earnings. She is by multiple graded-stakes winner Munnings out of the stakes-placed Lemon Drop Kid mare Dyna Passer.
“We love it. This is her fourth win. She’s telling us something,” Woodslane’s Rene Woolcott said. “We still have the mare, and she’s doing very well. And we still have the grandmother [Dynaire]. She’s retired and on the farm. We have the whole family. It’s fun that Brian trained Ginger as well.”
Gulfstream’s next race for 3-year-old fillies on the turf is the $150,000 Sweetest Chant going 1 1/16 miles Jan. 31, followed by the $175,000 Herecomesthebride (G3) at a mile Feb. 28 and $150,000 Sanibel Island sprinting 7 ½ furlongs March 28.
“There’s a lot on the horizon for her,” Lynch said. “Hopefully, she can keep winning like she has been doing.”
