Destino d'Oro back on track for Forever Together

ELMONT, N.Y. – Destino d’Oro’s ascension in the female turf division got derailed earlier this year by a foot injury. Sunday, her connections hope Destino d’Oro can pick up where she left off last winter when she returns from a six-month layoff in the $175,000 Forever Together Stakes at Belmont Park.

The Forever Together is scheduled for 1 1/16 miles over the Widener Turf course. If the forecast for rain comes to fruition, there is the possibility this race – and the other four scheduled turf races scheduled for Sunday – are moved to the new Tapeta surface.

Destino d’Oro put together a three-race winning streak that began last Dec. 13 with a head victory over And One More Time in the Tropical Park Oaks. She followed that up with a 15-1 upset in the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf, also at Gulfstream. On March 7, Destino d’Oro won the Grade 2 Hillsborough at Tampa Bay Downs, a performance that was to set her up for a Grade 1 try in the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in April.

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Destino d’Oro was entered in but had to scratch from the Jenny Wiley due to a hind foot issue.

“It wasn’t anything major, kind of lingering. It took some time to get the growth back in the foot. We gave her plenty of time,” trainer Brad Cox said. “She’s come to hand fairly quickly, so I’m hoping this is a good spot to get her started.”

A potential switch to Tapeta may not be problematic for Destino d’Oro as she has been training steadily over Turfway Park’s synthetic track most of the summer.

Destino d’Oro does her best running from off the pace and this race appears to lack pace. Junior Alvarado, who is 2 for 2 on Destino d’Oro, will have to work that out.

Trainer Chad Brown has won four of the nine runnings of the Forever Together, including the last three. Oversubscribed, who won it last year, is back for a repeat try, but Dynamic Pricing is likely to be more highly regarded, taking a drop in class after finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Diana.

Even with rain, Brown would prefer to see this race stay on the turf as Dynamic Pricing has shown an affinity for soft or yielding ground, having won the Grade 2 Edgewood and Grade 1 Just a Game under those conditions.

“This is a little regroup for her. She’s training well. This is her last year of running, hoping to get a couple of good runs into her before being sold in November,” Brown said.

Oversubscribed has had a number of issues in her career, but when right she’s solid. She finished second to And One More Time in the Plenty of Grace in April. And One More Time has won two stakes since. Brown said Oversubscribed is also scheduled to be sold in November.

Ashikidah, trained by Phil Antonacci, is coming off an allowance win on turf at Saratoga that produced next-out winner Gowells Delight as well as Pop Art, who ran a career-best Beyer Speed Figure finishing second in her next start.

Ashikidah does own a winning race over synthetic, have won her maiden at Chantilly in France.

Ozara, a six-time stakes winner, is seeking to rebound from a trio of sixth-place finishes in graded stakes.

Modarosa, trained by Riley Mott, is coming off a second-place finish in the Princess of Sylmar Stakes over the synthetic surface at Presque Isle Downs. Modarosa could have a potential pace advantage, as she did win an allowance in front-running fashion at Gulfstream last winter. Kendrick Carmouche rides.

Table Flirt, trained by Bill Mott, is coming off an allowance win going a mile at Saratoga.

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