Steal Sunshine wins an allowance optional claimer Nov. 22, 2024, at Gulfstream Park (Coglianese)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Steal Sunshine, a last-out second to Mindframe in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) March 1, will be back on the work tab this weekend ahead of a next scheduled start in the $1 million Godolphin Mile (G2) on the Dubai World Cup undercard April 5 at Meydan Racecourse.
Gulfstream-based trainer Bobby Dibona said Steal Sunshine’s regular rider, Paco Lopez, will be aboard the 6-year-old son of Constitution both for his breeze over the main track and the race in Dubai.
“He’s going to work Saturday,” Dibona said. “We’re doing all the preparations. He’s doing good, and he’s a good shipper. I’m not worried about that. I shipped him to Ellis Park and won [the 2022 Ellis Park Derby] with him. Hey, maybe we can pull it off.”
Michael Iavarone, Jules Iavarone, Carrie Brogden, Kevin Pollard, Ed Gorry and David Menard’s Steal Sunshine has made 20 of 26 career starts over his home track at Gulfstream, with Ellis Park his only out-of-town victory. Overall he has a record of 7-3-7 with $700,430 in purse earnings.
Steal Sunshine was the defending champion in the Gulfstream Park Mile, a race where he got pinched back at the start and trailed the field for four furlongs racing along the rail before tipping wide nearing the stretch and closing stoutly to come within 1 ¼ lengths of 2024 Belmont (G1) and Haskell (G1) runner-up Mindframe, the recently named Maryland-bred Horse of the Year making his first start in more than seven months.
“If I don’t get destroyed leaving the gate, I beat Mindframe that day. I spotted the field 20 lengths. He ran huge. After that race, they extended the invitation for the [Godolphin] Mile,” Dibona said. “He’s a good horse. He needs a hot pace, and I think we’ll get it. I think he’ll have the pace he needs out there and Paco says he’s doing so, so good right now.”
Lopez has ridden Steal Sunshine in eight of 10 starts since last January with two wins including the Gulfstream Park Mile, the last-out second and thirds in the 2024 Ghostzapper (G3) and Fred Hooper (G3).
“This horse, he’s great but you’ve got to know how to ride him, and he does, so it’s all good,” Dibona said. “He’ll leave on the 22nd and we’ll get out there and get a chance to maybe blow him out a little bit before the race.”
Later on Saturday, Dibona will send out Michael Iavarone, Jules Iavarone and Mark Frimmel’s Tiger Belle in the $115,000 Captiva Island for older fillies and mares scheduled for five furlongs on the grass. The Irish-bred 4-year-old filly, a 2023 Group 3 winner facing males in France, has not raced since last July for previous trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
Tiger Belle was 12th in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita in her stateside debut then went winless in three tries last year including a fourth in the five-furlong Melody of Colors on Gulfstream’s all-weather Tapeta course in late March.
“Mentally, with these European horses I think it just takes a bit to get to them,” Dibona said. “I turned her out for a while and brought her back in and kind of started from square one. We’ve had a nice little run preparing, but every once in a while she throws in a day that makes me scratch my head.
“My goal right now is to hopefully be in good order Saturday morning and then see what we’ve got our hands on,” he added. “If she’s good and she runs the way she worked the last couple of works, she might be this kind of horse.”
