Charlie's Wish tries to end another productive year in style

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Has Charlie’s Wish found a new home on the Tapeta in light of her impressive victory in the Ginger Punch Stakes, or is she just so handy it doesn’t really matter what track she competes over these days?

Trainer David Fawkes thinks “versatile” is the best word to describe his hard-knocking filly, even though he has wheeled her right back on the Tapeta for her 2024 finale in Sunday’s main event at Gulfstream Park. The $75,000 overnight handicap will be run at a mile and 70 yards and has lured a field of nine older fillies and mares, including the graded stakes-placed Maryquitecontrary and the well-traveled Sand and Sea.

Charlie’s Wish has recorded five victories and finished worse than third only three times in 18 lifetime starts. Three of her wins have come on dirt, with one each over turf and synthetic tracks.

Her synthetic debut in the Ginger Punch on Sept. 21 was arguably one of her best efforts. The late-running daughter of First Dude took readily to the Tapeta strip and rallied from near the rear of the field to a 2 1/2-length victory for which she received an 87 Beyer Speed Figure. The effort fell just two points shy of equaling her career-best number posted earlier this summer, when she finished second to the multiple stakes winner and odds-on Beth’s Dream going a mile on the main track.

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“She’ll do anything you want her to do over any surface,” said Fawkes. “Originally I thought she was better at one turn than around two, but she’s continued to improve as she’s gotten older and now I think she’s just as good around two turns. She’s certainly been one of the top horses in our barn the last two years and I think this is a pretty good spot for her to close out another very strong season on a winning note.”

Maryquitecontrary will try the synthetic surface for the first time herself on Sunday while also making a rare start around two turns. She is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Princess Rooney going seven furlongs on the dirt when defeated 7 1/2 lengths by Soul of an Angel, who flattered the race by returning to upset the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar.

Sand and Sea competed with a good measure of success over the Tapeta here last winter, winning twice and finishing third in three overnight handicap appearances for trainer Riley Mott. She played catch-me-if-you-can in the process, leading at every call in both her local victories. She showed off a new dimension in her most recent start when rallying from mid-pack to finish second as the 6-5 favorite in the HBPA Stakes over the synthetic track at Presque Isle Downs.

“I think Sand and Sea is definitely the one to beat, although I’m hoping the fact she’s been traveling a lot and now ships back down to Florida might be to our advantage, especially considering our filly just has to walk out of her stall and over for the race,” Fawkes said.

Chick’s Shadow, a late-running third behind Charlie’s Wish in the Ginger Punch, will take her on again while completing a lineup that also includes the multiple stakes-placed Sun Bee, stakes winner Infinite Diamond, Pacholli, She Propsers, and No Valla.

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