All in Fun well spotted in Sanibel Island

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – With All in Fun coming off a visually impressive allowance win in an off-the-turf race here two months ago, it would not have been a surprise had trainer Shug McGaughey taken a shot with her in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Gulfstream Oaks on the dirt.

Instead, McGaughey has taken the conservative route and entered All in Fun in Sunday’s $75,000 Sanibel Island Handicap for 3-year-old fillies on the turf.

“If she’s good enough, she’ll have plenty of shots,” McGaughey said.

All in Fun has proven herself on turf and dirt – or at least slop. McGaughey is not limiting All in Fun to one particular surface and said he selected the Sanibel Island, a one-mile race, because “it’s a logical spot.”

Last fall at Belmont Park, All in Fun won a maiden race on turf by a neck, beating Strict Compliance, who came back to win a maiden special weight race at Gulfstream on March 11.

All in Fun, a daughter of Tapit, will face six challengers in the Sanibel Island, led by Isabella Sings, a first-level allowance winner on turf here Feb. 26.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said he chose the Sanibel Island over the Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland on April 12 for Isabella Sings because Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Lady Eli is scheduled to run in the Appalachian.

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Red Sashay, a winner of a listed stakes going a mile here in October, and Flying Tapit, a full sister to Grade 1 winner Tapitsfly, head the list of potential upsetters.

KEY CONTENDERS

All in Fun (Last 3 Beyers: 75-75-65)

◗ All in Fun returns to turf for the first time since she won a 1 1/16-mile maiden race by a neck at Belmont last Oct. 19.

“I thought she ran really well that day on the turf and got a little lazy the last part of it,” McGaughey said. “I think she was a pretty easy winner despite the margin.”

◗ She scored a front-running allowance win over a sloppy main track Jan. 11, turning back a challenge at the quarter pole from Arctic Ocean, who came back to win a stakes at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales grounds in March. Whispering Angel, fourth in that Jan. 11 race, came back to win an allowance on turf.

Isabella Sings (Last 3 Beyers: 78-75-75)

◗ She has won two of four starts, with a neck loss in the Grade 2 Natalma last fall at Woodbine. Her only bad performance came in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, where she finished 12th of 13.

◗ She is coming off a three-quarter-length allowance win on turf here Feb. 26.

“She tends to be a little headstrong, and I thought she settled pretty well, finished pretty good – those two were well clear of the third horse – and she galloped out decently afterward,” Pletcher said. “The key with her is just getting her to settle.”