Gulfstream: Pompay excited to run Bridled Heiress in allowance

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Instead of going directly from the maiden ranks to stakes company, trainer Terri Pompay opted to run Bridled Heiress in a first-level allowance race that serves as Friday’s feature at Gulfstream Park.

Bridled Heiress, a daughter of Wildcat Heir owned and bred by Wanda Polisenni’s My Purple Haze Stables, was one of 10 3-year-old fillies entered in the 6 1/2-furlong race. On Wednesday, trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. said Pray a Novena would not run due to an illness.

Bridled Heiress finished second to the $725,000 yearling purchase West Coast Girl in her debut here Feb. 1. On March 2, Bridled Heiress came back to win by 5 1/4 lengths, running six furlongs in 1:09.69 and earning an 88 Beyer Speed Figure.

Pompay said that in her first start, Bridled Heiress may have gotten a little tired, being down on the inside part of a drying-out, tiring track.

“My filly ran hard and got a little tired,” Pompay said, adding that jockey Javier Castellano “said it was too bad she had to wind up down on the inside.”

Pompay also believes that the filly who beat her, West Coast Girl, is “probably a pretty good filly.” West Coast Girl came back to run second in her first race against winners here Sunday.

Pompay said that in her second start, Bridled Heiress relaxed a little better “but was still a little green around the turn.”

Pompay said she and Castellano were happy with the way Bridled Heiress breezed five furlongs in 1:00.20 last week at Gulfstream.

“I’m excited to run her,” Pompay said. “I think she’s going to run good, and hopefully after this, we can look for a little stakes for her.”

In a race that came up with a lot of early-speed types, Pompay was happy to have Bridled Heiress drawn to the outside.

Shogun Samurai won her debut last December on the lead but was used up in a speed duel when finishing fifth as the even-money favorite in an allowance race here Jan. 20.

“There’s speed again, but I’ll let Joe [Bravo] make his decision what to do with her,” trainer Kelly Breen said. “We are down on the inside compared to some of the other speed. She’s had a couple of good works. We’ll hope for the best.”

Miss Melinda, a daughter of Malibu Moon, was a debut winner at Belmont in October but was sidelined due to bucked shins, according to trainer Bill Mott. She gets Lasix for the first time and will break from the rail under Joel Rosario.

Cajun Sunrise, a maiden winner against Florida-breds in her dirt debut, could be the best closer in the field.

Hot and Dangerous, Art of the Game, Wild N Clever, Shanagarry, and Sunset Silhouette complete the field.