Starship Impulsive. (Lauren King)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. –A half length short of capturing her fifth straight race in her most recent start, Starship Stables’ Starship Impulsive is scheduled to take on 10 other 3-year-old fillies in Friday’s $75,000 Cellars Shiraz in a bid to return to her winning ways at Gulfstream Park.
Starship Impulsive will make a welcome return to turf in the 1 1/16-mile Cellars Shiraz after tasting defeat on Gulfstream’s Tapeta course in the off-the-turf Ginger Punch Handicap Sept. 20.
The Steve Dwoskin-trained daughter of Improbable closely tracked Leo Toro in the mile-and-70-yard Ginger Punch and took dead aim on the Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained pacesetter but was held off through the stretch.
“The race came off the turf. She likes turf better,” Dwoskin said. “She still ran good. We’re looking forward to [running back on turf].”
Starship Impulsive, who broke her maiden on turf during the Championship Meet, captured four races in a row during the Royal Palm Meet, capturing an optional claimer, the Honey Ryder, the Martha Washington and the Frolic’s Revenge. Her emergence as a multiple-stakes winner coincided with being sent around two turns in those four races after running around one turn in her first four starts.
“Two turns, that’s what she wants,” Dwoskin said. “She wants distance.”
Starship Impulsive has been installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite for Friday’s feature.
“She’s getting more confidence. She enjoys running,” Dwoskin said. “I’m very proud of her.”
Leonel Reyes, who has been aboard Starship Impulsive since she started her four-race winning streak, has the return mount.
Live Oak Plantation’s Mischief in Motion enters the Cellars Shiraz off a front-running 3 ½-length victory in the 1 1/8-mile Christiana Stakes over Delaware Park’s turf course. The Michael Trombetta-trained 3-year-old filly, who broke her maiden over Tampa Bay’s main track in February, made an impressive debut on turf at Colonial Downs Aug. 6, rallying from mid-pack to win a 1 1/16-mile allowance going away by 2 ¾ lengths.
“She seems to have hit another level when she got on the grass. She’s run pretty well. We know we’re getting short in the calendar with straight 3-year-old filly turf stakes, so it looks like I wasn’t the only one who found this race, because it seems pretty popular,” Trombetta said. “She’s trained well. We think we got her down there in enough time and hopefully she’s settled in and she runs good.”
The daughter of Into Mischief, who was purchased at the 2023 Keeneland September sale for $535,000, will be ridden by Antonio Gallardo, who was aboard for her maiden win and her Colonial allowance score the only two times he has ridden her.
Flying Dutchman Breeding and Racing LLC’s Nosleeptilbrooklyn is slated to drop down from graded company and cut back in distance for the Cellars Shiraz. The Brian Lynch-trained daughter of Ghostzapper faded to 12th after prompting the pace in the 1 3/16-mile Dueling Grounds Oaks (G3) at Kentucky Downs following an extremely wide off-the-board finish in the Pucker Up (G3) at Ellis Park.
“I think she’s going to enjoy a cutback in distance. She’s had a little bit of time between her last race and this race and I’m hoping she’ll run well fresh,” Lynch said. “I think she’s a little bit better when you sit back and try to make one run.”
Nosleeptilbrooklyn captured a mile optional claiming allowance prior to stepping into Grade 3 company the only time she was ridden by Nik Juarez, who will be aboard Friday.
Ken Ramsey’s Ramsey Pond, rated second at 3-1 on the morning line, will be looking to break through with her first victory at Gulfstream Park, where the daughter of Divisidero has finished second three times in six starts, including runner-up finishes in the Sweetest Chant in February and the Wait a While last November.
The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained filly came up a bit short last time out while finishing second, beaten by a half-length, in a mile optional claiming allowance at Kentucky Downs Sept. 4. It was her first race since winning a 1 1/16-mile allowance Aprill 11 at Keeneland.
Micah Husbands will ride Ramsey Pond for the first time Friday.
Joseph will also be represented by Corinne and William Heligbrodt’s Bellavinino, who has finished in the money in six of 10 starts, including two victories at Gulfstream, and Resolute Racing’s Brown Sugar, a daughter of Twirling Candy formerly trained by Brad Cox who has yet to win on turf.
Samy Camacho has the call on Bellavinino, while Reylu Gutierrez has been named to ride Brown Sugar.
D J Stable LLC’s Phoenix of Wit is another Cellars Shiraz starter who has stepped forward since stepping on turf. The Joe Orseno-trained Irish-bred filly, who ran her first three career races without success, graduated in her turf debut at Gulfstream by four lengths Aug.17. She closed from mid-pack to finish second in an Oct. 4 allowance on turf at Aqueduct.
Samuel Marin, who was aboard at Aqueduct, has the return mount.
GoldMark Farm’s Majustify, Ad Hoc Stable Inc.’s Crafty Collector, JR Ranch, Marquee Bloodstock and High Step Racing’s Jalila and Stephen Screnci’s Fede round out the field.
