Honey Fox Stakes 2016 at Gulfstream Park

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

OffTrackBetting.com - The Grade 2 Honey Fox Stakes will be contested this Saturday, April 2 from Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Fillies and mares four years old and upward will be featured when they take to Gulfstream's turf track and race one mile for the winner's portion of the $300,000 purse.

A competitive field of eight will take to the track in the Honey Fox - race 12 on Gulfstream's insane Saturday card. Post time is 5:35 PM. Let's take a look at the past performances of all eight combatants for this intriguing Grade 2 stakes.

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2016 Honey Fox Stakes Race Preview

Sandiva - Irish bred Group 3 winner in France - Todd Pletcher trained filly won the minor Tropical Park Oaks here to close out her 2014 campaign and won the Grade 3 Suwannee River Stakes at Gulfstream Park last February. She has been decent since. Last time out was a runner-up finish as favorite in the Grade 2 Royal Delta Stakes on Gulfstream's dirt track February 13 after a nice win in the Grade 3 Marshua's River Stakes on this track January 9, an OK third in the Grade 3 My Charmer Handicap at Gulfstream Park West November 21, a disappointing fifth in the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park June 6, a third in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile in May and a second in the 2015 Honey Fox Stakes in March. Sandiva has placed in seven of her last eight starts overall and will be out to better her runner-up finish in this race last year on a grass track she's posted three wins. Javier Castellano has been tabbed to keep an impressive run going Saturday in her return to turf from gate 4.

Lady Lara - Irish bred Bill Mott trained filly won the minor Pebbles Stakes at Belmont Park in October, 2014 and posted a nice win over Sandiva in the 2015 Honey Fox Stakes in March. She has been good lately - a second place finish last time out behind the terrific Tepin in the Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes at Tampa Bay February 13 followed a good win over Sandiva in the Grade 3 My Charmer Handicap at Gulfstream Park West in November and a third in the Grade 3 Athenia Stakes at Belmont Park November 17. Before that was a second in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel Stakes on that same track September 19. Lady Lara has now placed in four straight races ahead of this weekend after an unflattering stretch and will try to keep the streak going from gate 6 with Jose Lezcano guiding her.

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Tammy the Torpedo - lightly raced Chad Brown trained filly has seven career starts with four wins and a third place finish. She enters off a career best effort - a win in the Grade 3 Suwannee River Stakes on this track February 6 after a nice win in the minor Tropical Park Oaks in December, an uncharacteristic sixth in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes in November and an Allowance score at Belmont Park in October. Tammy the Torpedo hopes to make it three straight stakes wins on this very track Saturday when she leaves from post 5. Joe Bravo has the mount.

Celestine - Bill Mott trained filly has four wins two seconds and a third place finish in 10 career starts. She had a nice four race win streak at this time last year - the minor Wild Applause Stakes June 14 after wins in the minor Wait a While Stakes in May (both results at Belmont Park) and the minor Sanibel Island Stakes last March at Gulfstream. She has been OK in three starts since - a third last time out in the minor Sand Springs Stakes February 27 followed a second in the minor Tropical Park Oaks December 19 (both on this track) and an uncharacteristic tenth in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes in November. Celestine has placed in seven of her last eight starts but looks to snap a three race losing streak from gate 2 Saturday. Junior Alvarado rides.

E B Ryder - multiple stakes winning Martin Wolfson trained mare has five wins, 11 seconds and a third place finish in 30 career starts. She has runner-up finishes in five of her last seven starts overall including the minor Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf here January 16, the minor Soaring Softly Stakes on this track in August, the minor Spook Express Stakes here in July and the minor Amelia Island Handicap also on this track in May. That said she hasn't posted a victory since the minor Anka Germania Stakes here in May, 2014 and she is coming off a sixth in the Grade 3 Suwannee Stakes on this track February 6. E B Ryder has been OK, not great and looks for her first win in nearly two years. She departs from the rail with Harry Hernandez aboard.

Mississippi Delta - Mark Casse trained filly has four wins in seven career starts but has looked pedestrian in the other three. She enters off an Allowance score here March 6 which followed a DNF in the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen Stakes at Woodbine in October, a seventh in the Grade 2 Lake George Stakes at Saratoga in July and three straight wins including the minor Alywow Stakes and Glorious Song Stakes at Woodbine. Mississippi Delta will be after her second straight win and first stakes score in 10 months Saturday when she departs from post 3 with Julien Leparoux aboard.

A Little Bit Sassy - Michael Matz trained mare won the minor Edgewood Stakes in May, 2013 - her only stakes score thus far. She has been up and down since. Last time out was an eighth in the Grade 3 Suwannee River Stakes on this track February 6 after a respectable second in the Grade 3 Marshua's River Stakes here January 9, a sixth in the Grade 3 Athenia Stakes at Belmont Park October 17, a second in the minor Glen Hill Farms One Dreamer Stakes in September, a third in the minor Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes in August and an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Penn National in July. A Little Bit Sassy will try to snap a five race losing streak when she leaves from post 7 with Luis Saez in the reins.

Elusive Collection - has just four career starts for trainer Josie Carroll with two wins and a third place finish. She won the minor Etobicoke Stakes at Woodbine in September in her second career start and has looked OK since. Last time out was a fourth in the minor Sand Springs Stakes here February 27 after a respectable third in her only graded stakes action to date - the Grade 2 Bessarabian Stakes in November. Elusive Collection has been decent in limited action and will be out to make a little noise Saturday. John Velazquez has the mount from the outside gate 8.


2016 Honey Fox Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 12 on Gulfstream Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 5:35 PM.

Entry Horse ML Odds Jockey Trainer
1 E B Ryder 20-1 Harry Hernandez Martin Wolfson
2 Celestine 8-1 Junior Alvarado William Mott
3 Mississippi Delta 15-1 Julien Leparoux Mark Casse
4 Sandiva (IRE) 9-5 Javier Castellano Todd Pletcher
5 Tammy the Torpedo 7-2 Joe Bravo Chad Brown
6 Lady Lara (IRE) 5-2 Jose Lezcano William Mott
7 A Little Bit Sassy 12-1 Luis Saez Michael Matz
8 Elusive Collection 10-1 John Velazquez Josie Carroll