Gulfstream Park: Baffle Me goes for 4th straight win in Powder Break Stakes
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mark Hennig returns home to New York on Sunday. Before he leaves, the veteran trainer will try to pick up some shipping money for the long journey when sending out leading contenders in each of the overnight turf stakes Saturday at Gulfstream Park, the $75,000 Powder Break Stakes for older fillies and mares and the $75,000 Mr. Light Stakes for 3-year-olds.
Baffle Me brings a three-race win streak into the 1 1/16-mile Powder Break, although she has not started since winning the 7 1/2-furlong South Beach Stakes to close out her outstanding 2013 campaign Dec. 15. Baffle Me, a daughter of First Samurai, won four of 10 starts last season, including three stakes, while banking more than $271,000 for Hennig and owner Lee Lewis.
“She came up with a little bit of a bruised foot after her last win, so I just decided to freshen her a little, give her a little more jogging and fiddling-around time, before putting her back in serious training,” said Hennig. “She’s got a long year ahead of her, and I didn’t want to run her hard through this meet and then take her back north.”
Hennig said that although Baffle Me has never won at 1 1/16 miles, he doesn’t feel the distance or the recent layoff should prevent her from running another big race in the Powder Break.
“She’s usually at the top of her game when she runs fresh, and she’s really learned to settle and relax since we last ran her a mile and one-sixteenth,” said Hennig. “There is some other speed in the field, but her speed is seven- and 7 1/2-furlong speed, so I expect to see her in front or laying just off the pace. This looks like a good spot to get her started again before we try to take on a little bigger fish once she gets back north.”
There are a few big fish in the Powder Break, including the multiple graded stakes-placed Julie’s Love, who has not started since finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Matchmaker last July at Monmouth Park. Julie’s Love defeated a strong field that included Grade 2 Canadian winner Minakshi and Grade 1 E.P. Taylor winner Tannery when registering her lone win last year in an overnight stakes at Belmont Park.
Ready Signal is coming off the best race of her career when outfinishing the odds-on favorite Byrama to upset the Ten Palms Stakes here this winter for owner-trainer Amy Tarrant.
Riverboat Queen returns to stakes company for trainer Todd Pletcher after registering an impressive optional-claiming win while making her first start since July.
Cabo Cat will try to get Hennig’s day off to a big start when he takes on eight other 3-year-olds in the one-mile Mr. Light. The stretch-running Cabo Cat finished second in the Grade 3 Dania Beach and third in the Kitten’s Joy Stakes here earlier in the meet.
“He’s been very unlucky in terms of getting some pace to run at in all his races here this winter, and it looks like he might get a little more lively pace in this one,” said Hennig. “He runs hard every time. He’s just been a little unlucky down here.”
Pletcher will try to duplicate last week’s stakes success with In Tune in the Florida Oaks and Constitution in the Florida Derby when he sends out Divine Oath as the likely favorite in the Mr. Light Stakes. Like his 3-year-old stablemates, Divine Oath will make his stakes debut Saturday after having won a maiden race and a first-level allowance event in his only two previous starts. Divine Oath is one of two horses Pletcher will send out, along with Master Lightning, who makes his turf debut Saturday.
Three-time stakes winner Yes I’m Lucky will make his 3-year-old debut in the Mr. Light Stakes, having been idle since finishing 2 1/4 lengths behind Cabo Cat when a tiring fourth in the Dania Beach Stakes.