Graceful Princess an improving filly

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Expectations have and always will be high whenever Graceful Princess goes to post. The impeccably bred filly, by Tapit out of the 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace, will bring those lofty expectations to the table once again Friday at Gulfstream Park as the overwhelming favorite against just four rivals in the featured third race, a $51,000 optional claiming test for 3-year-old fillies going one mile.

Graceful Princess ran to expectations right off the bat last summer at Saratoga, launching her career with a wire-to-wire 1 3/4-length maiden special weight triumph at seven furlongs. A minor injury sent her to the sidelines for nearly five months not long after, and she returned to finish second stretching to a mile behind the highly regarded Queen of Beas here on Jan. 31.

“She always showed talent, even before she made it to the racetrack back on Gold Mark Farm,” said Ralph Nicks who trains Graceful Princess for owner-breeder Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm. “We were excited about her at Saratoga and she proved us right with her first victory. But then she got sick before the Frizette, went back home for two months, and it didn’t surprise me she might have come up a little short when second behind a pretty good filly in her first start back.”

Nicks is confident Graceful Princess will move forward with a race under her belt and over the track.

“I thought her effort was a good one off the layoff and expect her to keep improving as the year goes on,” said Nicks, who trained 2017 2-year-old filly champion Caledonia Road. “Ideally, I’d have liked to have run her two turns this time, but the race wasn’t available, and I’m thankful the racing office let this one go with only five horses.”

Nicks didn’t want to speculate what might be next for Graceful Princess until clearing the upcoming hurdle on Friday.

“It’s a long year, but if she runs well here we can think about getting a little ambitious the next time,” said Nicks. “She’s got a chance to really be nice, especially as she matures, since her mother really got good at 4. And looking at her frame, I can see her getting better and better as the year goes on.”

Graceful Princess figures to be on or with the lead from the outset on Wednesday under jockey Tyler Gaffalione while facing Secret Zar, Western Curl, Bella Ciao, and Horologist.

Western Curl exits the same race as the favorite, having finished third, 5 1/4 lengths behind Graceful Princess. The race marked the first try on dirt for the daughter of Curlin after competing on both turf and the artificial surface at Woodbine at 2 in her first two starts.

Horologist returns to the allowance ranks off a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Forward Gal. She was stakes-placed in both earlier starts here this winter, including a second-place effort in the restricted Glitter Woman on Jan. 5.