Flutterby training sharply ahead of Sunshine Millions Distaff

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – At 95, trainer Jerry Bozzo no longer visits the barn every morning. But he was on hand Friday morning, attending to business and eager to answer all questions pertaining to the queen of his stable, the multiple stakes-winning speedster Flutterby, who will launch her 6-year-old campaign next Saturday in the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff.

“I only have five horses now, so I don’t feel the need to be here every day,” said Bozzo, a World War II veteran. “But I still make it out here periodically, and I still have my finger on the pulse here at the barn.”

Among the mornings Bozzo hasn’t missed recently are those that have seen Flutterby burn the clockers’ watches. Flutterby posted a half-mile in 46.20 seconds and two five-eighths in 58.80 and 58 flat since Dec. 26 while preparing for her first start since finishing far back in the Grade 2 Inside Information here March 19.

“She had a little difficulty in her last race, got dinged a bit, nothing serious, but I just thought, ‘Let’s not take any chances and give her some time,’ ” said Bozzo, who became the oldest trainer to win a stakes race when Flutterby won the Sea Lily Handicap here in May 2015. “She’s definitely shown she’s come back 100 percent. She’s always been a good work horse. She goes fast but does it entirely on her own. I wouldn’t dare ask her for anything in the morning because I’d be afraid she might give it.”

Bozzo said Flutterby’s regular rider, Luca Panici, has been aboard for her recent works and will have the mount again in the Sunshine Millions Distaff, which has been shortened from seven furlongs to six this winter. Flutterby has participated in the last two renewals of the Distaff, finishing third in 2015 and sixth a year ago.

“She and Luca are really a good fit,” Bozzo said. “I was surprised to see only 12 nominations for this race. Perhaps dropping the purse discouraged some people. From what I see on the nomination sheet, I expect her to fit in very well.”

Moment of Delight, the winner of the Sunshine Millions Distaff Preview at Gulfstream Park West, tuned up for the Distaff on Friday at Gulfstream Park, working five furlongs from the gate in 1:00.41. She was joined on the local tab by Sunshine Millions Sprint nominee Yourdreamsormine, who breezed an easy four furlongs in 49.60, and Piloting, among the top contenders for the $200,000 Sunshine Millions Classic. Piloting also went a maintenance-type half-mile in 48.70.

Awesome Slew, the likely favorite for the Classic, got in his final work for the race Thursday at Palm Meadows, registering a bullet half-mile in 47.55 for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. Plesa nominated two horses for the race, opting to start Mr. Jordan here Saturday in the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope.

Awesome Slew won the Grade 3 Smarty Jones at Parx Racing in September before closing out his 2016 campaign by finishing third behind Stanford and Keen Ice in the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday here a month ago.

The Sunshine Millions will consist of five stakes races topped by the Classic, with total purses reduced from $900,000 to $600,000 earlier this month.