Granitz has Si Si Mon Amie primed
OLDSMAR, Fla. - Si Si Mon Amie, just one of several promising youngsters trainer Tony Granitz has sent out to leave the winless ranks on the turf here this meeting, will go after her second straight win on Tuesday. She tops an overflow of 3-year-old fillies entered in the first-level allowance feature at about five furlongs on the turf.
Carlos Montalvo, who piloted Si Si Mon Amie to victory in that career debut, will return at 122 pounds.
Cher Ami, a pace factor to the stretch of the Gasparilla Stakes, will try the turf for the first time as one of the threats in the ninth-race feature, along with Second Time Around, a Jane Cibelli trainee who comes into this one off a solid second on the main track, and Floresta, a Bill Mott charge who disappointed badly in a main-track allowance here in her first local start but a filly who was stakes-placed last season at Delaware Park.
Luis Gonzalez will handle Cher Ami at 120 pounds, while Jose Ferrer gets the call on Second Time Around at 118 pounds. Daniel Centeno, the leading rider at Tampa Bay Downs and the United States, gets the call on Floresta at 118 pounds.
Si Si Mon Amie, an El Corredor filly, was overlooked in her debut, going to the post at 13-1 in a mile turf race but she showed solid professionalism that day, coming from well off the pace to get through along the rail to challenge in the drive then draw clear late over the regally bred Canopy.
Si Si Mon Amie has come back to work smartly, going a half-mile in 48.60 seconds on the main track and should be charging late at today's shorter distance.
Cher Ami, a Lost Soldier filly, finished second to the promising Special Tears in her debut last November at Calder, then led throughout her next to post an impressive four-length win at Calder in mid December.
Given five weeks off, she tried stakes company in the Gasaparilla and contested the pace to the stretch of that seven-furlong race before fading in the drive to wind up seventh behind Suaveness.
Second Time Around couldn't contend with Miss Music Maker as that one wired her field after hanging a 44.53-second half-mile on her pursuers, but she has shown good speed going longer on the turf and must be considered.