Triple Charm on the Turf

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL -- British import Triple Charm, making just her second start in the last 14 months, accelerated smartly in the stretch to annex today's featured ninth race at Gulfstream Park, a $54,500 optional claiming event over a mile on grass. A winner of four times in 14 outings in her native country, the daughter of Pivotal missed 2013 entirely, and was saddled by trainer Christophe Clement for the first time on January 15 in a one-mile turf test at Gulfstream. The 6-year-old got off to a slow start that day and proved hard to settle for jockey Joe Bravo en route to a sixth-place finish.

Triple Charm was more amenable this time in the early stages under Bravo, then knifed through between rivals in the stretch to take it by a neck over the fast-finishing Waterway Run. She was timed in 1:35 4/5, and returned $9.60 to her backers.

"I learned so much about her in her last race," Bravo said. "I had her in the clear and she was very, very rank. It took away from her final kick, and as you saw today her final kick is great. When a horse has such a good turn of foot as she does, it makes it so much easier (to get through). The key is getting her to relax, and Christophe is so good at teaching horses to do that. That's what we love about the game."

Triple Charm is owned by Green Hills Farm. It was the 10th win for the Clement stable at the current Gulfstream meeting.

WHO'S HOT: Meet-leading rider Javier Castellano had a double on Friday afternoon, scoring aboard Accelerare ($3.80) in the third and Burn the Mortgage ($4.60) in the seventh. Luis Saez also had a pair of winners with Theros ($9.40) in the fifth and Cactus Son ($7.40) in the finale.

Rainbow 6 Carryover: $473,028.48