Gulfstream Park: Invaders for Ta Wee may feel at home

Miss Addison and Ron Faucheux might be invading from Louisiana for the $100,000 Ta Wee on Saturday, but neither horse nor trainer is a stranger to Gulfstream Park. Miss Addison made two starts at the track in 2012, while Faucheux had seven starters at Gulfstream in 2011.

The Ta Wee is a 1 1/16-mile turf race for Florida-bred fillies and mares. The field of nine also includes Awesome Belle, a six-time stakes winner closing in on $500,000 in earnings; Millennia, a half-sister to top-class sprinter Fatal Bullet; and My Pal Chrissy, a three-time stakes winner entered for the main track only Saturday.

The opportunity to run with statebreds is one of the reasons Miss Addison shipped out of her training center base near Lafayette, La., on Wednesday night, headed for Hallandale Beach. She won the $50,000 Matron at a mile on turf at Evangeline Downs in her most recent start July 20, and the Beyer Speed Figure of 83 that she earned is the best last-race number in the Ta Wee.

“After the last race, with her being a Florida-bred, we saw this race and thought it would be a neat spot to nominate to and just kind of see how it comes up,” Faucheux said. “It looks like it came up where she fits in the race.”

Miss Addison has the added benefit of having run well over the local course. Back on Feb. 5, 2012, she was a close third in a $30,000 conditioned claimer when racing for Dennis Manning, her trainer at the time. Faucheux, who trains Miss Addison for Brittlyn Stable, spent time at Gulfstream in 2011 and compiled a record of 1 win, 2 seconds, and 1 third from 7 starters.

“I had a couple of horses there one year for Frank Calabrese, so I’m pretty familiar with Gulfstream,” he said.

Faucheux said he is hoping for a stalking type of trip for Miss Addison, who will break from the rail under Quincy Hamilton.

“She’s very tactical,” Faucheux said. “She can be closer to the pace or further off the pace. Hopefully, we’ll see her nice, strong turn of foot at the end. To finish strong, that’s what we’re hoping for.”

Awesome Belle, a winner of 7 of 25 starts, is the class of the field with earnings of $492,187. She will be moving back to the distance of her last win off a fifth-place finish in the $100,000 Hollywood Wildcat at 7 1/2 furlongs at Calder on July 6. Fernando Jara has the mount on Awesome Belle, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Midas Eyes who is trained by Stanley Gold.