Awesome Strong, Lynx heavy favorites to complete Florida Sire Stakes series sweeps

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Awesome Strong and Lynx will attempt to add their names to a list of 13 2-year-olds to have swept all three legs of their respective divisions in the 40-year history of the Florida Sire Stakes series when they go postward heavy favorites in the $400,000 In Reality and $400,000 My Dear Girl stakes Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Both youngsters enter the 1 1/16-mile series finales undefeated after three starts. If both were to win again, it would be the first time in the history of the event that two horses swept the male and filly divisions in the same year.

The In Reality for males and My Dear Girl for fillies, both restricted to Florida-sired 2-year-olds, top an 11-race program that also includes the $100,000 Gil Campbell Memorial Handicap at one mile for Florida-sired 3-year-olds and up.

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Awesome Strong has dominated the male division, capturing the six-furlong Dr. Fager and seven-furlong Affirmed by a combined 7 3/4 lengths after launching his career winning his maiden by six lengths on May 6. A son of Awesome Slew, Awesome Strong is trained by Jorge Delgado for CSLR Racing Partners and has been ridden to victory in all three starts by Miguel Vasquez, who rides again on Saturday.

“He’s feeling really good and showing me all the signs I’d like to see coming into this race,” Delgado said. “He appears to have matured a lot and gotten more professional ever since his last start.”

Staying the extra distance and going two turns for the first time is the big question mark for both Awesome Strong and Lynx if they are to continue their winning ways on Saturday. And Delgado is confident his horse is up to the task.

“I felt since breeze number one that he could handle longer distances because he’s always been strong on his gallop-outs,” Delgado said. “And Miguel says any time he sees other horses he re-breaks and just keeps going.”

Awesome Strong is the first horse Delgado has ever run in the series since he first began training five years ago.

“To have my first starter in a Sire race and to be going for a sweep is like a dream come true for me,” Delgado said. “It also makes me realize how difficult it is to sweep the series. You need a horse who can sprint and go long, too, and you’ve got to be able to keep them healthy and at their best for a long period of time as well.”

Delgado said that if Awesome Strong wins the In Reality, he would be pointed for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland on Nov. 4.

The field for the In Reality includes Turbo, Apocalypso, Commandant, and Cajun Hope, the second- through fifth-place finishers, respectively, from the Affirmed.

Turbo has been the clear-cut runner-up in the first two legs of the series and showed courage rallying from eighth while racing six wide into the stretch in the Affirmed. Turbo is trained by Juan Alvarado and is one of two Arindel homebreds in the field along with Knox, from the barn of trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Knox has been idle since his fourth-place finish in the Aug. 6 Dr. Fager.

Joseph will also send out Apocalpsyo, who had his best chances compromised when bumped at the start of the Affirmed. He rallied to finish third, seven lengths behind Awesome Strong.

My Dear Girl Stakes

Lynx, like Knox and Turbo an Arindel homebred by Brethren, began her career beating open company here on May 19. She was then given 2 1/2 months off by trainer Carlos David before returning to win the six-furlong Desert Vixen by 1 1/4 lengths and the seven-furlong Susan’s Girl by 4 3/4 lengths, rallying from off the pace under Edgard Zayas on both occasions.

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“She started showing more talent than the other babies I had right away, which is why I decided to run her against [open company] the first time, and when she won, we kind of knew what we had,” said David. “Giving her nearly three months off after that, I was afraid she might need a race in the first leg, and when she won, I was very pleased. I told Edgard to keep her closer last time, it worked out well, and I expect to see her do the same stretching out again on Saturday.”

David and Arindel are no strangers to Sire series success, having combined to win both the Affirmed and In Reality a year ago with Octane.

Lynx will face four rivals she already defeated rather easily in the Susan’s Girl – Guardian Angel, Cajun Tease, Time Passage, and High Fashion Lady – although a few of them have breeding that suggests the added distance could even that playing field in the finale.

Guardian Angel is a half-brother to Sing Praises, winner of the 2014 In Reality. Time Passage is a half to Outfoxed, who dominated last year’s renewal of the My Dear Girl. Cajun Tease is a half to Noted and Quoted, who captured the Grade 1 Chandelier going 1 1/16 miles during her juvenile campaign in 2016.

◗ David and Arindel will send out Gatsby as the 123-pound highweight and one of the key contenders in the Gil Campbell Memorial. The field also includes Noble Drama (122), Shivaree (120), Dean Delivers (119), and Clapton (117).

Rainbow 6 mandatory payout

The Rainbow 6 will have a mandatory payout Saturday, with all three Florida Sire Series races in the sequence. Heading into Friday's card, a carryover of $392,377 had accumulated in the jackpot pool. Track officials are estimating a pool of $1.5 million or more if the bet is not hit Friday.

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