Well-Bred 3-Year-old Filly Debuts with ‘Fabulous’ Victory Saturday’s Card to Feature Guaranteed Multi-Race Wager Pools
Purchased for $400,000 at the 2016 OBS April Sale for 2-year-olds in training, the 3-year-old daughter of High Cotton is out of West Side Dancer, the dam of three stakes winners from her first four foals, including multiple-stakes winner Travelin Man, who won the 2011 Swale (G2) at Gulfstream; Grade 1 stakes-placed Discreet Dancer, who won the 2013 Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2); and Sweet N Discreet, the winner of the 2014 Sunshine Millions Distaff who went on to finish second in the G2 Sabin (now known as the Royal Delta) at Gulfstream.
“It’s pedigree, pedigree, pedigree,” said e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Bob Edwards, listing the reasons for purchasing the Ocala Stud-bred filly. “Ocala Stud does a great job. West Side Dancer, her first dam, throws great horses. Mike Ryan, my bloodstock agent, brought me up to make sure I got a look at her, and we loved her.”
Trained by David Fawkes, Florida Fabulous galloped to an early lead in the mile maiden special weight event and was never in need of the slightest encouragement from Lopez as she easily defeated four Florida-bred rivals.
Florida Fabulous showed a series of 10 workouts at Gulfstream Park in preparation for her fabulous debut, in which she ran a mile over a less-than-glib surface in 1:40.46.
“She did everything right coming into the race,” Fawkes said. “She worked out of the gate about a month ago, and she worked OK, but I wasn’t crazy about it. We talked a little bit and decided to give her a couple more works and she started getting better and better. Her last two works were fabulous.”
Fawkes revealed no definite plans for the athletic filly’s next start.
“We’ll let her breathe a few minutes and we’ll take a look at what’s coming up,” Fawkes said. “I’m sure there’ll be something coming up for her here.”
Edwards, a Boca Raton, FL resident who owns a pharmaceutical company, said e Five Racing Thoroughbreds represents five family members.
In the featured ninth race, a third-level optional claiming allowance on turf, WinStar Farm’s American Patriot ($9.40) emerged from a three-horse stretch battle with a narrow victory under John Velazquez. The Todd Pletcher-trained 4-year-old, who won the Kent (G3) at Delaware and finished a close third in the Secretariat (G1) at Arlington last year, ran 1 1/16 miles on a firm turf course in 1:42.05 after a wide off-the-pace trip. Team Colors and Tale of Fancy finished in a dead-heat for second.
Saturday’s Card to Feature Guaranteed Multi-Race Wager Pools
Highlighted by the $200,000 Royal Delta (G2), Saturday’s 12-race program at Gulfstream Park will also feature guaranteed pools for the 50-cent Late Pick 4, the 50-cent Late Pick 5 and the 20-cent Rainbow 6.
The Late Pick 4 pool will be guaranteed at $300,000. The Late Pick 5 will offer a $200,000 guaranteed pool, while the Rainbow 6 will also offer a guaranteed jackpot pool of $200,000 if the popular multi-race wager isn’t solved Friday.
The Rainbow 6 went unsolved Thursday for the second consecutive program since the jackpot was hit for $210,518.74 last Sunday, producing a carryover jackpot of $35,494.87 for Friday's program. Multiple tickets with five of six winners were each worth $6,451.58 Thursday.
The Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
In addition to the Rainbow 6 carryover, there will be a $47,815.72 Super Hi-5 carryover for Friday's first race.
Thursday's Late Pick 5 returned a $97,344.50 payoff.
The $60,000 White Pearl Stakes, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares, will be run as Saturday's 11th race and included in the sequences for the Late Pick 4 (Races 9-12), Late Pick 5 (Races 8-12) and Rainbow 6 (Races 7-12).
Saturday’s 12th race, an entry-level allowance at one mile on turf, will feature Royal Delta’s half brother, Delta Prince. The 4-year-old son of Street Cry graduated in his third career start and first race on turf Dec. 26 at Gulfstream. James Jerkens saddled the Stronach Stables’ colt for his impressive four-length triumph. John Velazquez has the mount.
Carded as the fourth race, the Royal Delta, a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares, attracted a field of six, including Rampart (G3) winner Eskenformoney and Hurricane Bertie (G3) winner Curlin’s Approval.
Who’s Hot: In addition to riding Florida Fabulous to victory in the third, Paco Lopez scored with Tanyas Pride ($7.20) in the fifth. Jockey Jorge Ruiz continued to make the most of limited opportunities with a pair of winning rides aboard Pat M’s Image ($10.80) in the fourth and Bella Kittens ($24) in the sixth.
Rainbow 6 Carryover: $35,494.67
