Stone Silent victorious in the Abundantia Dec. 31 at Gulfstream Park (Lauren King)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.— Victoriam Farm LLC’s Stone Silent will be looking to make noise in Sunday’s $100,000 Ladies’ Turf Sprint at Gulfstream Park.
The Ladies’ Turf Sprint, a five-furlong turf stakes for older fillies and mares, will headline a 10-race program.
Stone Silent already attracted a lot of attention while scoring an impressive victory last time out while making her first start for trainer Brian Lynch. Purchased for $170,000 at the Keeneland November sale, The 4-year-old daughter of Adios Charlie won the $125,000 Abundantia going away by 1 ¾ lengths Dec. 31 at Gulfstream.
“Her form had been pretty solid before we had taken her over. She trained on nicely too, so you’re always a little nervous the first time you run one like that, that you can maintain their form,” Lynch said. “She came up trumps for us and ran the way we were hoping she would.”
The Florida-bred mare was formerly trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen and John Sadler for her eight prior starts that included a victory in the 2022 Debutante in her debut at Santa Anita and a close runner-up finish in the Galway last summer at Saratoga.
Stone Silent, who had employed her early speed in her prior starts, showed a new versatility in the five-furlong Abundantia, settling off the pace before sweeping off the turn into the stretch and drawing away.
“It was a nice dimension to see from her, that she could come from off the pace if she needed to,” Lynch said. “She drew the one hole. If she breaks full of run, I wouldn’t get in her way. I’d let her do her thing. But if she gets into a traffic situation, it’s nice to know she can settle and still have that nice punch.”
Junior Alvarado has the return call on Stone Silent.
Choose Joy, who rallied from last to finish second behind Stone Silent in the Abundantia, returns in the Ladies’ Turf Sprint for owner/trainer Steve Dwoskin.
Choose Joy brings an enviable record at Gulfstream into the Ladies’ Turf Sprint. Dwoskin’s 7-year-old mare has won seven races and finished second in six races in 19 starts at Gulfstream, where she has won six races and finish second five times in 12 starts at the five-furlong distance on turf.
Her drop-back-late-run style makes the daughter of Munning’s record is even more impressive.
Regular jockey Miguel Vasquez has the return call.
Seagull Capital LLC’s Glitter Up, who became involved in a three-way battle for pacesetting honors before fading to fourth in the Abundantia, is expected to be involved in the early pace again Sunday. The Tim Hill-trained daughter of Connect had registered a front-running victory in a 5 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance on Tapeta two races back.
Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano has the mount.
California Racing Partners LLC, Ciaglia Racing LLC, and Richard Pearson’s Baby Steps is slated to drop back in distance Saturday after coming up a little short while finishing second in the two-turn Sunshine Filly & Mare Turf Jan. 14. The Jorge Delgado-trained daughter of Jimmy Creed had previously captured the Starfish Bay Handicap.
David Egan has the mount aboard the 5-year-old mare.
Road Trip Racing Inc. and Past The Wire Inc.’s Fulminate, Mark Dodson’s The Arcadian Way, Rice Racing’s Boo Boo Kitty, Chris Manohar’s Canadiansweetheart, and Alex Kazdan’s Shasta Star round out the Ladies Turf Sprint field.
