Gulfstream Park: Sweet Whiskey heads Pletcher pair in Any Limit

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Stop if you’ve heard this one before. Todd Pletcher will hold the upper hand when he sends out a pair of promising 3-year-old fillies in Sunday’s $75,000 Any Limit overnight stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Both are stakes winners. Sweet Whiskey captured the Grade 3 Old Hat here in her 3-year-old debut Jan. 4, while Fierce Boots won an overnight stakes the same afternoon over the inner track at Aqueduct.

Sweet Whiskey will be heavily favored to add the seven-furlong Any Limit to her convincing 2 3/4-length victory here earlier this winter in the six-furlong Old Hat.

[Clocker Reports: Get Mike Welsch’s clocker reports from Gulfstream Park and Palm Meadows]

“We considered running her right back in the Forward Gal, but the race was only three weeks after the Old Hat and we didn’t want to space her races too close together early in the year,” Pletcher said. “We didn’t want to stretch her out to a mile and one-sixteenth for the Davona Dale, so this race was our next-best option. We’ll try her at seven furlongs, see how she does, and this will kind of determine where we go from here.”

Sweet Whiskey broke a step slowly from the rail in the Old Hat and must break from post 1 again Sunday.

“She’s training really well and looks great,” Pletcher said. “She’s put on some weight since her last race, and we’re pleased with the way she’s coming into this race.”

Sweet Whiskey, a daughter of Old Fashioned, also finished second at 2 behind Miss Behaviour in Belmont Park’s Grade 2 Matron.

Fierce Boots, owned by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, shipped to south Florida from New York following her fourth-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Busher at Aqueduct on Feb. 1. Fierce Boots led from start to finish to post a two-length tally in the mile and 70-yard Busanda.

“There weren’t that many options for her in New York, so we brought her down right after her last race,” Pletcher said. “She’ll probably have a different running style in this type of race. She’ll be coming from just off the pace instead of being on the lead the way she was in those route races.”

The Pletcher duo will face six rivals in the Any Limit, led by Thank You Marylou, a daughter of Birdstone who has been idle since she finished third, placed second via disqualification, in the Grade 2 Adirondack last summer at Saratoga. Owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Thank You Marylou capped off a series of nice works at Gulfstream by going five furlongs in 58.85 on Sunday.

The remainder of the Any Limit lineup comprises Whomping Willow, an impressive maiden winner in her last start; Naive Enough, fourth in the Grade 2 Golden Rod closing out her 2-year-old campaign at Churchill Downs; and Luna Santa, Golden Friendships, and Boheme de Lavi.

Zito-Coolmore send first-timer

Trainer Nick Zito and Coolmore will join forces when Sky Bird, a 3-year-old daughter of Birdstone, launches her career going a mile in Sunday’s ninth race. Sky Bird is a half-sister to stablemate and Grade 3 winner Declan’s Warrior.

Zito’s previous associations with Coolmore include Doneraile Court, who captured the Grade 3 Nashua in 1998 and Grade 2 Jerome in 1999, as well as the Grade 1 winner and 2001 Preakness and Belmont Stakes runner-up A P Valentine.

“I’ve always had a good relationship with the Coolmore people and I hope we can continue to have success together, beginning Sunday, with Sky Bird,” Zito said.