Gold-trained trio leads contentious Susan's Girl
So many fillies, so many options. The $250,000 Susan’s Girl on Saturday at Gulfstream Park represents a handicapper’s delight, as more than a handful of the 13 starters merit consideration in the seven-furlong race.
Jacks or Better Farm and trainer Stanley Gold have three of the logical contenders in Leap Year Luck, Standard Deal, and Awesome Ice, but a monopoly is not necessarily theirs. Alternate choices range from Miss Amalita, the beaten favorite in the Desert Vixen last month, to the flashy maiden winners Herecomesmisskitty, Moment of Delight, and Hangover Saturday, as well as Evelyn’s Dream and R Sassy Lass, both seeking their first career win.
The Susan’s Girl, named for the legendary Fred Hooper racemare of the early 1970s, directly follows the Affirmed Stakes as the 11th of 12 Saturday races. Post time for the Susan’s Girl is 6:06 p.m. Eastern.
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Key contenders
Leap Year Luck (Last 2 Beyers: 67-57)
* Her run-off triumph last month in the six-furlong Desert Vixen clearly was a breakthrough, and she’ll need to prove that that 13-1 upset was no fluke when getting an additional furlong to flaunt her late kick.
* Gold is tied with the late Frank Gomez for the most wins in the Florida Sire Series with 14.
Standard Deal (Last 3 Beyers: 55-36-67)
* Rebounded from a disappointing effort in her stakes debut to finish a good second to her stablemate in the Desert Vixen as a front-running third wagering choice; retains leading jockey Edgard Zayas as a bonus.
Moment of Delight (Last Beyer: 64)
* First and only race was a real corker for trainer Bill Kaplan, who is hoping for a big Saturday with stable star East Hall in the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs.
Awesome Ice (Last 2 Beyers: 70-58)
* Has made stair-step progress for Gold, with her maiden victory five weeks ago netting her a field-high 70 Beyer Speed Figure; keeps hot rider Ramsey Zimmerman aboard.
Herecomesmisskitty (Last 2 Beyers: 41-62)
* As one of two in here for trainer Kathleen O’Connell (along with I’m a Good Looker), a sharp break clearly would help in a big way toward a repeat of her flashy June debut.