All eyes on Outfoxed as Florida Sire Stakes conclude with In Reality, My Dear Girl
The lucrative Florida Sire Stakes series wraps up Saturday at Gulfstream Park with the $400,000 My Dear Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, the $400,000 In Reality for 2-year-olds, and the $125,000 Wildcat Heir for 3-year-olds and up.
Also on the 12-race card that begins at 12:20 p.m. Eastern is the $75,000 Hollywood Beach for 2-year-olds going five furlongs on turf.
The star of the show is the Bill Mott-trained Outfoxed, who will be a short price to win the My Dear Girl. The 1 1/16-mile race drew eight horses and goes as race 9.
Outfoxed showed a lot of promise when she finished third to Echo Zulu in her debut in a maiden special weight race July 15 at Saratoga. Echo Zulo won the Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga in her next start. Outfoxed more than lived up to the promise she showed when she won the $200,000 Florida-sired Susan’s Girl by 13 1/2 lengths on Aug. 28.
Despite the blowout win, Mott was not counting on anything in the My Dear Girl.
“I am cautiously optimistic,” he said. “She should be okay going around two turns, but I have been surprised before. I left her at Gulfstream with my former assistant Ralph Nicks, and she has been training well.”
The daughter of Valiant Minister will break from the rail with leading rider Edgard Zayas retaining the mount.
Chacalosa paid $75.20 for her victory in the $75,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie for trainer Earl Hughes in her third start at Arlington Park on Aug. 28. She came from well back in the seven-furlong race and should be rolling late if she can handle the transition from synthetic to dirt.
A daughter of Jess’s Dream, Chacalosa will be making her first start for trainer Larry Rivelli, who the past five years has a 26 percent strike rate with new shooters. She will break from post 7 with Emisael Jaramillo up.
Devilette, second in the Susan’s Girl for trainer Daniel Pita, will be the one they have to run down.
In Reality Stakes
Octane will try to carry his substantial speed around two turns for the first time in the 1 1/16-mile In Reality, which drew 10 horses and will go at approximately 5:38 as race 11.
Trained by Carlos David, Octane overcame adversity to win a maiden special weight race for Florida-breds in his second start, and then made no mistakes when he took them all the way in his 3 1/4-length win over heavily favored Cajun’s Magic in the $200,000 Florida-sired Affirmed on Aug. 28.
David was a bit surprised by Octane’s win in the seven-furlong Affirmed but is expecting another strong performance in the In Reality.
“He showed some talent in his first two starts, but I never expected him to win the Affirmed,” David said. “He’s a very relaxed horse, so I think he will be okay going around two turns. He will do whatever you want, but he has tactical speed, and we aren’t going to take that away from him.”
Octane will break from post 7 with Jaramillo up.
Cajun Magic will try to make amends for his loss as the favorite in the Affirmed. The Michael Yates-trained son of Cajun Breeze won the $100,000 Florida-sired Dr. Fager in his previous start.
“It’s a question for all of them,” Yates said referring to the distance. “He’s been training well. He’s had some nice, long, swift gallops, so I think he’s ready. “
Jesus Rios will be aboard when he breaks from post 2.
Trainer David Fawkes likes the way Big and Classy, third in the Affirmed, is coming into the race.
“He worked in company with Noble Drama the other day and did excellent,” he said. “I think he’s got a huge chance.”
Wildcat Heir Stakes
Noble Drama will try to win the Wildcat Heir for the third time for Fawkes. His first victory came as a 3-year-old in 2018 and in his only other try in the one-mile race, he was victorious last year.
A six-time winner at the distance, he will appreciate being back at his home track while facing easier company after finishing fifth going 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 2, $800,000 Charles Town Classic on Aug. 28.
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The son of Gone Astray will break from the outside post in the six-horse field with Jaramillo riding. The Wildcat Heir is race 7.
Hollywood Beach Stakes
The Hollywood Beach kicks off the stakes festival in the fourth race. The five-furlong turf dash is a wide-open event. It drew 10 horses for turf, with Onward Austin entered as main track only.
The Ronald Spatz-trained Last Leaf is a filly facing boys, but she is the only two-time winner in the field and the 70 Beyer she received for her 10 1/2-length romp in the slop in a first-level allowance race with a $75,000 claiming option on Sept. 4 stands out.
Her breeding does not scream turf, but there is enough there to suggest she will be fine running on grass for the first time.
Barone Cesco won a key maiden special weight race going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Saratoga before going unplaced in the washed-off $120,000 Skidmore in his second start for trainer Antonio Sano.