Dogwood Trail, Moment of Delight try to regain form in Boca Chica
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – What a difference a year makes.
At this time last season, Dogwood Trail and Moment of Delight were among the leaders of the local 3-year-old filly division. When the pair square off Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the $75,000 Boca Chica Stakes, both will be attempting to recapture some of their former glory for new trainers.
Dogwood Trail has lost eight consecutive starts since winning the Grade 3 Azalea and Three Ring stakes here last summer. Trained by Stanley Gold at the time, Dogwood Trail is now under the tutelage of Mark Casse, for whom she finished sixth as the even-money favorite in the Sea Lily Stakes on June 4.
Although Gold lost Dogwood Trail, he subsequently picked up Moment of Delight following the retirement of trainer Bill Kaplan during the spring. Moment of Delight finished far behind Dogwood Trail last year in both the Azalea and Three Ring but avenged both of those setbacks with a 6 1/4-length triumph over her rival when stretching out around two turns for the Meadow Star Stakes in October.
The Boca Chica, restricted to Florida-breds, also reunites the trio of Winning for Sarah, Savingtime, and Double Secret, who finished second, third, and fourth in the six-furlong Sea Lily.
Winning for Sarah, a former claimer trained by Jena Antonucci, posted back-to-back optional-claiming victories here last winter. She rallied to defeat Savingtime by three parts of a length to take home second money while never threatening the wire-to wire-winner, My Miss Venezuela, in the Sea Lily.
“We couldn’t be happier with her. She’s bright and happy and training super,” Antonucci said. “She’s back on her form. She had an off-form race after she came back down from up north. She ran huge last time out, and she looks to be coming back in this race in the same kind of form.”
Savingtime is the only member of the field with a stakes victory in 2016, a come-from-behind 1 3/4-length upset over My Miss Venezuela in the restricted Ms. Gracie Handicap going seven furlongs May 8.
Boca Chica, Race 9
Key Contenders
Dogwood Trail, by Awesome of Course
Last 3 Beyers: 61-45-67
◗ Gave an indication that an improved performance could be forthcoming and that she’ll certainly show more early speed than she did in the Sea Lily by zipping a pressured but bullet half-mile in 46 seconds here last Saturday.
Moment of Delight, by A. P. Warrior
Last 3 Beyers: 62-80-70
◗ Debuts for Gold off a series of works that includes a sharp five furlongs in 59.60 here on June 4.
Winning for Sarah, by Graeme Hall
Last 3 Beyers: 77-57-74
◗ She comes with the best last-race Beyer Speed Figure of the bunch, a 77 earned for her second-place finish in the Sea Lily, and is a horse for the course, having won 6 of 19 starts at Gulfstream.