Finding Strength gets belated start to 3-year-old season
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Finding Strength, among the leaders of the local juvenile fillies division a year ago, will finally return to launch her 3-year-old campaign Friday at Gulfstream Park as one of the leading contenders in an intriguing $54,000 allowance race to be decided at 5 1/2 furlongs over the Tapeta surface.
Finding Strength started just four times at 2, winning her maiden at second asking in very impressive fashion before suffering a heartbreaking setback in her stakes debut when beaten a nose by the already graded stakes-placed Lennilu in the six-furlong Desert Vixen. Finding Strength closed her abbreviated juvenile campaign six weeks later when finishing a distant third behind undisputed division leader Mythical in the seven-furlong Susan’s Girl.
“She had a rough run in the Susan’s Girl. It was a gutsy effort on her part,” said Michael Yates, who trains Finding Strength for the partnership of LNJ Foxwoods and Church Street Stables. “We stopped on her at that point to have an ankle chip removed. She’s a very talented filly, and we’re excited about finally getting her back to the races.”
Finding Strength shows only four works on her résumé, all since Aug. 31, prepping for her return, including a bullet five furlongs in 59.60 seconds here last week in company with the older, stakes-placed P Four.
“The four published works were spaced out pretty good with some long, slow gallops in between,” Yates explained. “I preferred to run her on the main track starting back, but there wasn’t a dirt race available. She’s ready to run, and I think it’s in her best interests to go run rather than wait. She’s never worked on Tapeta but she’s trained over that track and handled it well.”
Yates says Finding Strength reminds him a little of another talented 3-year-old in his barn, Fourth and Central, who went to the sidelines for an extended period after winning the Dr. Fager to close his 2-year-old campaign. He returned under similar conditions as Friday’s headliner, albeit on dirt, to finish sixth to launch his 2026 campaign before running off three consecutive allowance victories.
“I like the outside post for her Friday coming off the layoff. She won’t have to be pressed from the outset, she can just go out and run her race,” Yates noted. “There’s quite a bit of speed in the field, and I think she’s quite capable of running horses down if need be.”
Like Finding Strength, top contenders La Dolce Vita and Barakah are both coming off extended vacations of their own. La Dolce Vita also has been idle since closing her 2-year-old season finishing a distant seventh as the favorite in the Juvenile Fillies Sprint, while Barakah has not started since launching her career with a come-from-behind, three-quarter-length maiden win going two turns over the Tapeta here March 25.
Both La Dolce Vita and Barakah are trained by Saffie Joseph Jr.
Ocala Gala shortens up after finishing a tiring fourth going a mile over the turf on Aug. 16 and already is a proven commodity on Tapeta, having won her lone start over the synthetic surface in impressive fashion, by nearly five lengths, winning her maiden here during the spring. She figures to contest the early running along with La Dolce Vita.
Reyes tops local riders
Leonel Reyes, who won five consecutive races here Sept. 13, continues to sit atop the jockey standings in what has been a very competitive race for the Sunshine meet riding title. Reyes opened a four-win advantage over current runner-up Diego Herrera after posting a hat trick on Sunday’s card, giving him 23 victories over the first 19 days of the session. Samy Camacho and Miguel Vasquez are tied for third with 18 wins apiece heading into Friday’s card, with Edwin Gonzalez, far and away the leading percentage rider during the meet, in fifth place with 17 wins.
Reyes, 40, has bounced back nicely after missing the entire 2025-26 Championship meet due to an open fracture of his left ankle suffered in a spill here Nov. 2. A two-time national champion in his native Venezuela, Reyes has been a regular on the local circuit since 2016.
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