Gulfstream: Bold World just misses record

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Bold World made a shambles of her competition and came within a half-second of Gulfstream Park's five-furlong track record when she registered a nine-length victory over Castelli Miss and six other outclassed 3-year-old fillies in the $71,000 Dame Mysterieuse Stakes*.

Making her first start since finishing a tiring sixth in Calder's My Dear Girl Stakes on Oct. 13, Bold World ($11.60) easily overtook the pacesetting Castelli Miss midway on the turn, remained well wide into the stretch, then steadily extended her advantage while under only mild urging by jockey Jorge Chavez in the final sixteenth of a mile.

Castelli Miss easily outlasted Awol by 6 1/2 lengths for second money. The previously undefeated Night Breeze, the 6-5 favorite, showed only brief speed and finished a well-beaten fourth.

Bold World's final time of 57.05 seconds was 0.45 of a second off the track mark set by Punch Line in March 1997.

"I looked at the Daily Racing Form and I didn't think this horse had that kind of speed," said Chavez. "But the trainer [Ron Taylor] told me she did and that we'd be laying close. He was right. We went right by that other filly and won easily."

"My filly wants to sprint; she doesn't want to go two turns," said Taylor, who trains Bold World for the Hardacre Farm. "I really wanted to run her in a nonwinners-of-two race next week but that last work she put in at the Ocala Training Center convinced me to bring her down for this race."

* Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.