Luis Saez aboard Special Wan (Lauren King)
First Stakes Win for Twice Group 3-Placed Irish-Bred Mare
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Team Valor International’s Irish-bred Special Wan, making her third North American start and first in 148 days, collared favored pacesetter In Our Time in mid-stretch and edged clear by 1 ¼ lengths in Saturday’s $165,000 Honey Fox (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
The 40th running of the one-mile Honey Fox for fillies and mares 4 and up on the grass was the seventh of nine stakes, eight graded, worth $2.15 million in purses on a blockbuster 14-race program headlined by the $415,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) for 3-year-olds.
It was the second stakes win of the day for jockey Luis Saez, who earlier captured the $165,000 The Very One (G3) with Beach Bomb.
Speed-loving In Our Time, exiting a third in the Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G2) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream, was quickly in front and opened up daylight on her 10 rivals through an opening quarter-mile in 23.54 seconds as Saez settled Special Wan in second.
The gap began to close following a half in 46.37 and Saez tipped Special Wan off the inside on the far turn to get into a challenging position. In Our Time straightened for home in front but Special Wan wrested the lead after going in 1:09.47 and finished up in 1:32.77 over a firm turf course.
In Our Time held second, two lengths ahead of Poolside With Slim, followed by Tax Implications, See You Around, Ozara, Ready for Shirl, Pounce, Life’s an Audible, Sister Lou Ann and Cairo Consort. Infinite Diamond was scratched.
Special Wan made her first five starts in Ireland, winning one and placing in the Ballycorus Stakes (G3) and Irish Stallion Farms EBF Brownstown Stakes (G3) before coming to the U.S. last summer. She won an open allowance at Kentucky Downs in debut before finishing fifth in the First Lady (G1) at Keeneland Oct. 5.
$165,000 Honey Fox (G3) Quotes
Winning trainer Brendan Walsh (Special Wan): “She was a nice filly in Europe last year. We got a bit of time after [the First Lady] and she’d been working very well since then, and I think she showed that here today. Luis had her in a great spot. He had her in the perfect spot to take it. But I never was too concerned. She seems like she can do anything. It was great to get the time with her down here and do what she did today.”
Winning jockey Luis Saez (Special Wan): “I knew the horse outside [In Our Time] was the speed. We broke from there pretty well, and everything came out like the plan. We followed her for a half-mile, and I had a lot of horse. I saw someone make a move early, but I was not worried. I knew we had a lot of horse and got to the leader.”
