Win N Your In. (Lauren King)
2-Year-Old Filly Upsets Favored R Morning Brew in 7F Sprint
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Troy Johnson and Maritza Weston’s Win N Your In, a disappointing third as the favorite to open the Florida Sire Stakes series last month, slipped through an opening along the rail leaving the far turn and drew clear for a 4 ½-length victory in Saturday’s $200,000 Susan’s Girl at Gulfstream Park.
The seven-furlong Susan’s Girl, second leg in the FTBOA FSS series for juvenile fillies by accredited Florida stallions, was the last of three stakes on a 12-race program following Loco Abarrio’s mild upset of the $100,000 Gil Campbell Memorial Handicap for 3-year-olds and up and undefeated Rated by Merit’s popular romp in the $200,000 Affirmed for 2-year-olds.
Ridden by Miguel Vasquez for trainer Carlos David, Win N Your In ($6.80) completed the distance in 1:25.23 over a fast main track. It was a sharp bounce-back effort for the daughter of Win Win Win after being beaten 6 ¼ lengths in the six-furlong Desert Vixen Sept. 7.
“It was the heat. It was really hot that day,” David said. “Some horses don’t handle it well and she’s one of them. She just doesn’t like it. I told the guys that as long as we have good weather, she’s going to rock it, and she did. Thank God for the good weather today.”
Midwest shipper Rogue Diamond, making just her second career start, broke alertly from Post 2 in a field of seven and immediately sprang to the lead, going the opening quarter-mile in 22.39 seconds pressed to her outside by Desert Vixen winner and 3-5 favorite R Morning Brew. Vasquez settled Win N Your In along the rail in third with 30-1 long shot I’malwaysthinking fourth.
Rogue Diamond began to tire leaving the backstretch, but Vasquez maintained his inside position and scooted past the fading leader approaching the stretch following a half-mile in 46.10. Win N Your In opened up once straightened for home and was unchallenged to the wire, with 45-1 long shot Kip the Distance beating R Morning Brew by 2 ¾ lengths for second.
Don’t Fool With Me, I’malwaysthinking, Rogue Diamond and Wiggle An’ Wine completed the order of finish.
“The initial plan was to go to the lead,” David said. “Her best performances have been on the lead, so I told Miguel, ‘I would encourage you to go to the lead if you can get it and just kind of set the pace, but if they go just stay back a little bit and let them do their thing and come around.’
“She does well taking back a little bit, too, and stalking,” he added. “I was a little worried coming around the turn because [Rogue Diamond] was stopping a little bit and I was like, ‘We’re going to get stopped.’ She’s gone to the rail before and she does well doing it, so we got lucky there. She drew off and she’s just great. She’s little, but she can run.”
Averill Racing’s R Morning Brew, trained by Sunshine Meet leader Saffie Joseph Jr. and ridden by Edgard Zayas, lost for the first time after winning her first two starts by 10 combined lengths.
“It’s horse racing,” Zayas said. “Last time we beat that filly pretty easily. This time, she got the jump on us and opened up and kept on going. I guess that’s the way she wants to be ridden. Last time, she got in traffic and didn’t fire. Next time, in the third leg, hopefully our filly will run her race.”
Saturday’s outcome means the juvenile filly series won’t be swept for the 11th straight year, since Scandalous Act in 2013. The series wraps up with the $400,000 My Dear Girl going 1 1/16 miles Nov. 30.
“I like her going farther,” David said. “I think she’s going to do well.”
