Boerne puts on Game Face

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – King Guillermo recently returned to trainer Juan Avila’s barn to begin preparations for his next start, which at the moment will not come until the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. But while he patiently puts King Guillermo through his paces over the weeks and months ahead, Avila has himself another 3-year-old under his shed named Boerne, who figures to provide him with plenty of action in the interim beginning with Saturday’s $75,000 Game Face at Gulfstream Park.

The 6 1/2-furlong Game Face is one of three stakes on Saturday’s 10-race program, with Boerne likely to go postward one of the shortest price favorites on the card, facing seven other 3-year-old fillies in quest of her fourth straight victory.

Boerne, a daughter of Fed Biz, began her streak on March 15 in her 3-year-old debut, winning her maiden by 3 ½ lengths. She came back to defeat first-level allowance foes four weeks later by 7 ¼ lengths before continuing her winning ways defeating open allowance competition by 4 ¼ lengths on May 3. Each of those victories came in wire-to-wire fashion with Edgard Zayas aboard, two of those at the same 6 ½-furlong distance as the Game Face.

Boerne tuned up for the Game Face breezing a bullet half-mile in 46.66 under the cover of darkness early last Saturday morning.

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“The work was faster than I wanted,” said Avila. “I was a little worried when I saw the time, but she did it easily. The rider said he never moved on her. I think she’s getting better with every start and she’s definitely ready for this race.”

While there may come a day when Boerne, a Texas-bred, will be challenged or even headed for the lead, that day is not likely to come on Saturday.

“I looked over the field and I don’t see anyone in there with the same velocity she has,” said Avila. “She should make the front easily, although in the future, I don’t think she needs the lead to win. If everything goes well here, I might stretch her out to a mile for her next start since she doesn’t ever stop, either in the morning or in her races.”

Among the opposition, Up in Smoke, Dream Marie, We Miss Susie, and Vast all figure to garner some support.

Up in Smoke began her career with three straight one-sided victories, all at six furlongs, before suffering her first defeat when stretching to 1 1/16 miles and finishing a non-threatening fourth in the Hollywood Wildcat three weeks ago.

Dream Marie is the only graded stakes-placed member of the lineup, having finished third behind local division leader Tonalist’s Shape going a mile in the Grade 2 Davona Dale on Feb. 29. She was also second behind that same nemesis after contesting the early pace in the Hollywood Wildcat.

We Miss Susie owns the highest Beyer Speed Figure in the field, an 83 for her come-from-behind 1 ½-length allowance win going six furlongs March 21.

Vast was a stakes winner at 2 for trainer Bill Mott and should improve after finishing a distant second behind Boerne in her 3-year-old debut five weeks ago.