Awesome Strong, Lynx go for a first double sweep of the Florida Sire Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – History could be made Saturday at Gulfstream Park when Awesome Strong and Lynx attempt to sweep both divisions of the Florida Sire Stakes series in the same year for the first time since the series began at Calder Race Course in 1982.

Thirteen 2-year-olds have won all three legs of the series, but never have the male division and the filly division been swept in the same year. Three Rules was the last horse to sweep the male division, in 2016, and Scandalous Act the most recent to pull off the feat in the filly division, in 2013. Smile was the first to sweep the series, winning the three legs of the male divison during his undefeated 2-year-old campaign in 1984. Two years later, he won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and was named sprint champion. He is one of six Eclipse Award winners to have graduated from the Sire Stakes, along with Holy Bull (1994 3-year-old male and Horse of the Year), Not Surprising (1995 sprint champion), Big Drama (2010 sprint champion), Brave Raj (1986 juvenile filly champion), and Awesome Feather (2010 juvenile filly champion).

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Awesome Strong and Lynx both enter the series finales undefeated in three starts. Awesome Strong has won his races by a combined 13 3/4 lengths, including easy victories in the six-furlong Dr. Fager and seven-furlong Affirmed. Lynx captured the first two legs of the filly division, the Desert Vixen and Susan’s Girl, in similarly impressive fashion.

Awesome Strong will face 11 rivals in the mile and one-sixteenth In Reality, including Turbo and Apocalypso, the second and third finishers in the Affirmed. Awesome Strong breaks from post 8 for trainer Jorge Delgado with regular rider Miguel Vasquez aboard.

Lynx takes on nine foes in her quest to sweep the filly division in the My Dear Girl. She breaks from post 2 under Edgard Zayas. Lynx, an Arindel homebred, is trained by Carlos Davis.

Apocalypso, who had a troubled start and wide trip in the Affirmed, was one of three Sire Stakes contenders sent out to work here Monday by leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., along with Knox (In Reality) and Marvelous Lady (My Dear Girl).

Apocalypso, who breaks from the advantageous inside post with the short run to the first turn in mile and one-sixteenth races, breezed an easy five furlongs in 1:02.50 with Zayas aboard in company with older stablemate Running Legacy. Knox and Marvelous Lady went as a team, completing a brisk five furlongs in 1:00.56, with neither being asked for their best at the end.

“I was pretty confident going into the last leg with Apocalypso, but he got away really bad and had to come from too far behind,” said Joseph. “Hopefully he’ll put himself in a more forward position this time. The distance should be no problem for him and I think he’s capable of pulling off the upset.”

Joseph bypassed the Affirmed with Knox following his fourth-place finish in the Dr. Fager.

“I think he ran sneaky good in the first leg, and I felt distance would be his forte, so I skipped the Affirmed to have a fresh horse for this one,” Joseph said.

Marvelous Lady enters the My Dear Girl still a maiden after two starts, and she’ll be a big longshot.

“She’s always worked well, but hasn’t run to her works yet,” said Joseph. “She definitely wants to go two turns, so we’re just taking a chance with her because of the big purse and the prestige of this race.”

Joseph spent Saturday at Parx where he sent out White Abarrio and Skippylongstocking to finish fifth and ninth in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, and Of a Revolution to be second, beaten a half-length by Scaramouche, in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob.

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“White Abarrio ran his race,” said Joseph. “He got a 96 Beyer, which is almost his tops. I thought he ran creditably coming off the poor effort in the Haskell, and I’m hopeful he can move forward off of that. I’ll bring him back to Gulfstream and likely cut him back to one turn next time. Skippy was out wide over a track that seemed like the inside was the place to be. He appeared to be traveling well to the half-mile pole and just quit after that. He’s had a hard campaign, so we’re going to give him a break and likely point for races here next winter.”

Of a Revolution, who raced with blinkers for the first time, rallied from 10th turning for home in the six-furlong Gallant Bob.

“He ran really well with blinkers, although I thought he’d be a little closer with them on,” Joseph said. “At the top of lane I thought he had a chance, but [Scaramouche] just kept going.”

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