HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Slam Dunk Racing, Legacy Ranch Inc. and Doug Branham’s Tonalist’s Shape got her sophomore season off to a stylish start and kept her perfect record intact with a 3 ¾-length victory in Saturday’s $150,000 Forward Gal at Gulfstream Park.
The 40th running of the seven-furlong Forward Gal for 3-year-old fillies was the first of four stakes, three graded, worth $500,000 in purses on the undercard of the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) Day program.
Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., Tonalist’s Shape completed the distance in 1:24.77 over a fast main track to earn her fourth consecutive triumph and third straight since being purchased following her debut victory last fall. It was the second stakes win in a row for the chestnut daughter of Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tonalist, who captured the one-mile Hut Hut in her juvenile finale Nov. 30.
Tonalist’s Shape broke a step slow from outside Post 6 as the 1-5 favorite but quickly settled in third as Compensate went a quarter-mile in 22.56 seconds and half in 45.48 pressed by Street of Dreams. Kept in the clear on the outside by Ortiz, Tonalist’s Shape ranged up to take the lead at the top of the stretch and powered through the stretch to open up on her rivals.
Street of Dreams finished second, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of first-time starter Nikki and Papa, who ducked in at the start from her rail post. Fujairah, Compensate and New Day Dawning completed the order of finish.
$150,000 Forward Gal (G3) Quotes
Winning trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. (Tonalist’s Shape): “It’s so important that she wins a graded stake because they paid good money for her and now it makes her valuable in that sense. This race came by design. It was to give her a break for the Forward Gal and go through the Gulfstream series because they have a good series for 3-year-old fillies. Today was the first stepping-stone. She did everything we asked. She was a further back in the beginning. I know cutting back, she doesn’t really want to be [sprinting] but it was the right way to get her where we need to get her. She did everything we asked and we can’t be more proud of her.”
“She’s not flashy, but she’s going to do what she needs to do. I’m just glad to have her and thankful that the owners put her in our barn. She’s won with four different riders and she could have probably won with four different trainers. All being well, we’ll go in the Davona Dale and the Gulfstream Oaks. That would be a good plan for her.”
Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Tonalist’s Shape): “I got a perfect trip. She broke out of there a little slow, but she usually does that. She worked her way up pretty quick and after that I just went with the flow. When I asked her turning for home, she really responded. She did everything right.”
Via Gulfstream Park Press Release
