New York Thunder successful in switching to turf (Ryan Thompson)
Gulfstream News & Notes
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.— AMO Racing USA’s undefeated New York Thunder is prominent on the list of nominations for the $100,000 Texas Glitter, a five-furlong turf dash for 3-year-olds that will co-headline the March 25 program at Gulfstream Park with the $100,000 Melody of Colors, a five-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies.
Jorge Delgado-trained New York Thunder was highly impressive in his first two career starts, breaking his maiden by 6 ½ lengths in front-running fashion on Tapeta Nov. 28 before pressing the early pace and drawing off to win his turf debut by 1 ¾ lengths at five furlongs Dec. 30.
AMO Racing USA and Delgado are also represented on the nominations list by British-bred Crispy Cat, twice Group 2-placed sprinting five furlongs on the grass in England last year. He was second by a neck as a favorite in a five-furlong grass sprint March 10 at Gulfstream.
Stakes winners Gordian Knot and No Name Dude are among 16 nominees for the Texas Glitter.
Joseph Imbesi’s Gordian Knot won the 6 ½-furlong Prince Lucky on dirt at Parx and six-furlong Mark McDermott on the Presque Isle Downs’ all-weather surface last fall and has not been out since finishing third as the favorite in the Nov. 29 Pennsylvania Nursery. The Social Inclusion gelding has yet to race on grass.
Julio Manuel Garriga’s No Name Dude captured the five-furlong Hollywood Beach over Gulfstream’s Tapeta surface in October and subsequently ran fifth in the Juvenile Sprint on dirt. He ran third in a starter optional claimer Feb. 22 on the Tapeta at Gulfstream in his 3-year-old debut.
Flor de Sombra, also owned by Imbesi and trained by Guadalupe Preciado, tops 18 nominees to the Melody of Colors. The Social Inclusion filly was a three-time stakes winner at 2, twice on the dirt as well as the Finest City in October over the all-weather at Presque Isle.
Westlake Racing Stable’s Showgirl Lynne B won each of her first three starts last summer, two of them at Gulfstream, including the 5 ½-furlong Sharp Susan on the Tapeta. She returned to South Florida and was sixth after setting the pace in the one-mile Ginger Brew Jan. 7 on the grass.
Bruno Schickedanz’s Bedtime Story is unbeaten in three career starts, all on Gulfstream’s Tapeta, the most recent coming in a five-furlong optional claiming allowance Feb. 2. Also without a loss is James William Fleming’s Kavala, claimed for $16,000 out of her Jan. 4 debut. The daughter of 2016 Holy Bull (G3) and Fountain of Youth (G2) winner Mohaymen came back with a 1 ¾-length starter optional claiming win Feb. 18, both races coming at 5 ½ furlongs over the Tapeta.
