Fawkes has sharp pair for Ivanavinalot, Silver Charm

Florida Fuego will be making her two-turn debut Saturday when she shoots for her second consecutive stakes win at Tampa Bay Downs in the $100,000 Ivanavinalot. The race will share a program with the $100,000 Silver Charm.

The Ivanavinalot – named for the dam of champion Songbird – is a new offering in the Florida Sire Stakes program. It is for 3-year-old fillies at one mile and 40 yards. The Silver Charm is over the same distance, for 3-year-old colts and geldings, and it, too, is part of the FSS program administered by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.

Florida Fuego will face five others in the Ivanavinalot, including Starship Bonita, winner of a pair of FSS series juvenile races at Gulfstream, the Susan’s Girl and the My Dear Girl. Florida Fuego defeated Starship Bonita in the $100,000 Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies on March 25 at Tampa. The race was run over seven furlongs, and Florida Fuego rallied for a 1 1/4-length win while earning a career-high Beyer Figure of 76.

“I don’t think two turns is going to be a big issue,” said David Fawkes, who trains Florida Fuego for e Five Racing Thoroughbreds. “She handled the seven-eighths so easy. She’s the kind of horse that’s relaxed, and I think she can get the distance.”

Florida Fuego’s dam, Almost a Valentine, is a half-sister to Rigoletta, who was a Grade 1 winner around two turns. Florida Fuego is by Kantharos. She will break from post 2 under Samy Camacho.

Fawkes also will have a starter in the Silver Charm in Noble Drama. The race drew seven including Tip Sheet, runner-up in the In Reality division of the FSS last September at Gulfstream, and Yeehaw, a maiden special weight winner at two turns last out at Tampa.

Noble Drama has been racing at Gulfstream, where he won a maiden special weight sprint for Florida-breds by 9 1/2 lengths March 9, then was fifth last out as the favorite in a first-level allowance against older Florida-bredson March 31. Fawkes said Noble Drama had some trouble in the allowance, which was run over seven furlongs.

“When he broke, they kind of got away from him early,” Fawkes said. “He got pinched back and a few other things went wrong.”

Since the start, Noble Drama has worked twice at Gulfstream as he prepares for his two-turn debut in the Silver Charm.

“I don’t expect distance to be a problem,” said Fawkes.

Noble Drama is by Gone Astray, a winner of both the Pennsylvania Derby and Ohio Derby. Noble Drama’s stakes-winning dam, Queen Drama, is a full sister to Sheer Drama – a Grade 1 winner at two turns – and a half-sister to champion Big Drama. All three of those family members were trained by Fawkes and bred and raced by Harold Queen, who is the owner and breeder of Noble Drama.

Noble Drama will break from the rail under Willie Martinez.

“He’s naturally quick,” Fawkes said. “We’ll just let him be himself and see what happens.”

The winner of the Silver Charm will earn a spot at the Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement facility in Georgetown, Ky., upon completion of his racing or breeding career, according to the Tampa Bay Downs website.