Daring Kathy aims to stay perfect on Florida grass in Cellars Shiraz

MIAMI – A pair of 3-year-olds with some success on the national stage, Daring Kathy and Wallyanna, will return to south Florida to head their respective divisions Saturday at Gulfstream Park West in the $90,000 Cellars Shiraz and Showing Up stakes.

Daring Kathy is back home after finishing third this summer in both the Grade 2 Lake George at Saratoga and the Grade 3 Colin Stakes at Woodbine. Daring Kathy has been perfect on grass in her native Florida, winning three straight races over the inner course at Gulfstream Park this season, including both the Honey Ryder and Starfish Bay stakes, by an average margin of 4 1/2 lengths.

“There is a little bit of speed in the race, but I don’t know how much it will affect her. She’s pretty quick herself,” said David Fawkes, who trains Daring Kathy for her breeders, John Eaton and Steve Laymon. “She ran well in Canada. She just went too fast early. I didn’t like the trip she got, but she’s done well since she’s come home, and I was looking for a little easier spot to get her confidence back and get her ready for the Florida-bred races coming up for her.”

Daring Kathy could get an early challenge in the one-mile Cellars Shiraz from Lemon Point, who has joined trainer Bill White’s stable after beginning her career with Bill Mott. Lemon Point also had success at Gulfstream early in her career, finishing second in the Juvenile Fillies Turf last November and winning an allowance race to conclude her 2-year-old campaign last December. She has started just twice thus far at 3, finishing seventh after forcing the pace in the Sweetest Chant and third May 30 in Belmont Park’s Wait A While behind the Breeders’ Cup-bound Richies Party Girl.

Lemon Point is one of three fillies White entered in the Cellars Shiraz, along with the stakes-placed Dreams Come True and Light Bringer, who will compete only if the race moves to the main track.

Wallyanna, claimed for $35,000 by trainer Michael Pino out of a winning effort at Gulfstream Park in March, won Saratoga’s Grade 2 Hall of Fame Stakes as a 23-1 outsider Aug. 8. He has not started since finishing a well-beaten sixth four weeks later over the same course in the Grade 3 Saranac. Based at Delaware Park during the summer, he shipped locally this month to work a bullet half-mile in 49 seconds Oct. 12 over the Gulfstream Park West main track.

The stretch-running Wallyanna should face his sternest test from Little Daddy, who tries grass for only the second time, having finished second in the English Channel overnight stakes June 14 at Gulfstream in his turf debut.

There should be ample pace in the Showing Up with Breitling Flyer, Roman Approval, and Notyouraveragejoe in the lineup.

Cellars Shiraz (race 7)

Key contenders

Daring Kathy (Last 3 Beyers: 84-84-82)

* She’s one of only two fillies in the race with graded-stakes experience and is strictly the class of the field.

* She must carry the highweight of 122 pounds under the allowance conditions of the race, conceding two to six pounds to her opposition.

Lemon Point (Last 3 Beyers: 79-79-80)

* Stakes-placed filly has not started since May and has had only four reported works since shipping locally to White.

* Posted her career-best Beyer (80) at a mile, winning an allowance race for Mott last December at Gulfstream Park.

Dun Won (Last 3 Beyers: 84-87-88)

* Rapidly improving filly owns the two top Beyers in this lineup but finished off the board in her only previous stakes start and is poorly drawn in post 11.

Showing Up (race 9)

Key contenders

Wallyanna (Last 3 Beyers: 77-89-79)

* Must break from the outside in post 11 with a short run to the opening turn in races run at a mile on turf at Gulfstream Park West.

Little Daddy (Last 3 Beyers: 60-83-78)

* Did not get the best of trips against statebreds at Saratoga when a bit rank early and hung out wide on both turns.

* He showed sharp early speed with jockey Edgard Zayas aboard in his most recent work and figures to sit a nice stalking trip behind Roman Approval and Breitling Flyer.

Roman Approval (Last 3 Beyers: 88-72-75)

* Jumped up with far and away his career-best effort when trying turf and getting blinkers for the first time after joining the Mike Maker stable off the claim.