Curlin's Princess will try to pair wins in mile feature

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The much-improved 3-year-old filly Curlin’s Princess will attempt to continue her winning ways as one of the favorites in Wednesday’s one-mile optional-claiming feature at Gulfstream Park West. The race has a $40,000 purse and carries a $62,500 claiming option. Curlin’s Princess, a homebred daughter of Curlin owned by Happy Alter, is coming off a career-best effort Sept. 18, when rallying to a convincing 2 1/2-length optional-claiming win going a mile over a sloppy track at Gulfstream. The win was the second in seven career starts for Curlin’s Princess, who is trained by Marty Wolfson.

Although she has not started in two months, Curlin’s Princess has turned in a series of sharp works, including an impressive 47.40-second half-mile at Gulfstream on Nov. 9.

Danessa Deluxe is the one to beat while returning locally after a fifth-place finish against older competition Sept. 28 at Parx. That was the only start for the 3-year-old daughter of Summer Bird since she finished seventh in the Grade 1 Mother Goose on June 27. Danessa Deluxe is far and away the class of the field, having finished third, beaten only two lengths, in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 28.

Like Curlin’s Princess, Danessa Deluxe has been working extremely well for her return, having posted back-to-back bullet works at Gulfstream Park West.

Other key contenders in the main event include Cali Star, who makes her first start since joining Wolfson’s barn this fall; restricted stakes winner Holywell; and the stakes-tested duo of Quinnkat and Oasis At Midnight.