Bode's Dream one of many speedsters in House Party

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – “Speed” will be the key word when a field of nine very fast and promising 2-year-old fillies gathers early Saturday afternoon to decide the six-furlong House Party, one of three $75,000 stakes for juvenile fillies on Juvenile Showcase Day at Gulfstream Park.

The House Party, race 2 on the 11-race program, attracted five undefeated fillies as well as the stakes-placed Wildcat Kate, who suffered her lone setback when run down by R Angel Katelyn in the Juvenile Filly Sprint at Gulfstream Park West four weeks ago.

Each of the key contenders has abundant speed and has shown similar running styles in all starts leading up to the House Party. That group includes trainer Todd Pletcher’s undefeated Bode’s Dream, who has won her only two starts in wire-to-wire fashion, including the Astoria at Belmont Park on June 9.

“We were planning to run her at Saratoga in the Schuylerville, but she wasn’t really thriving at that point, so we decided to pass the race,” said Pletcher. “She hasn’t done anything wrong up to this point, she’s training well, and hopefully we’ve done enough with her to have her ready to win off the layoff.”

The fastest horse in the field, at least from a Beyer Speed Figure standpoint, is Yes I’ll Go, a sensational nine-length winner of her only start last month at Gulfstream Park West. She too led at every call en route to a one-sided victory for which she received a 90 Beyer.

“She came out of her race good and worked a bullet, going a half in 46 [seconds] and galloping out five-eighths in 59,” said trainer Jorge Navarro. He noted that jockey Emisael Jaramillo was “delighted with the work.”

Yes I’ll Go may have her hand forced at the start by having to break from the rail.

La Vie Ross was also an extremely impressive debut winner at Gulfstream Park West, rallying from just a length off the pace to a 3 1/2-length decision over a sloppy track. She subsequently turned in a blazing work, five furlongs in 57.80, over the same track Nov. 30.

Wildcat Katie splashed to a 15 3/4-length maiden win to kick off her career at Gulfstream West before suffering a frustrating setback when caught late as the 3-2 favorite in the Juvenile Filly Sprint. That effort was flattered when the winner, R Angel Katelyn, returned to capture the Sandpiper last weekend at Tampa Bay Downs.

Brahms Cat is the only proven closer in the House Party lineup, having rallied from near the rear of the field to a 1 1/4-length maiden special weight victory here Sept. 24. She has been idle since but is training well for her return.

◗ The one-mile Hut Hut did not come up nearly as strong as the House Party, luring only seven young fillies, with the stakes-placed Lirica the only multiple winner in the field. She exits a bit of a disappointing effort behind R Angel Katelyn in the Juvenile Filly Sprint, finishing a nonthreatening sixth while making her first start in nearly three months.

Phone Chick may offer some appeal, especially to those who watched her overcome a horrific start to win her maiden by 1 1/2 lengths at Keeneland on Oct. 14.

◗ A full field of 14 will contest the wide-open Wait a While, to be decided at a mile on turf. Trainer Chad Brown appears to hold the best hand going into the race, having entered the uncoupled pair of Create a Dream and Lady Alexandra.

Create a Dream is one of only two stakes winners in the lineup, along with Silver Diva. Create a Dream exits a 1 1/2-length victory in the one-mile Chelsey Flower at Belmont Park. She had to overcome a bad post and a wide trip that day and is likely to face a similar scenario Saturday, having drawn the far-outside post in the bulky lineup.

Pletcher counters the Brown duo with Bahama Halo, an impressive allowance winner at Gulfstream Park West in her previous start.

“She did get in a bit of trouble in the allowance race, but she was able to overcome it,” Pletcher said. “I actually thought she had the most trouble in the race before her last. She’s got a lot of experience now, and she’s had a decent run over the course here, so we will step it up another level on Saturday.”

Queen Del Valle also has plenty of experience and has not had any trouble finding the winner’s circle, having won each of her five starts since being switched to the grass here last summer by trainer Reid Nagle.