Hear My Prayer, Cajun Casanova account for turf stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The two-turn experiment likely on the back shelf for the foreseeable future, Hear My Prayer got back to what she does best Saturday at Gulfstream Park, sprinting on turf, when pulling away to a 1 3/4-length victory over Compensate in the $75,000 Melody of Colors Stakes. The win was the fifth of seven on the card for jockey Paco Lopez, who joined Jerry Bailey (1995), Tyler Gaffalione (2017), and Luis Saez (2018) as the only riders to win seven races in a single day at Gulfstream Park. (Saez accomplished the feat twice in 2018.)

The Melody of Colors was the third victory in as many turf sprint opportunities for Hear My Prayer, a 3-year-old daughter of The Big Beast owned by Cara Oliver and trained by David “Art” Fisher. Hear My Prayer suffered her only setback in four starts on grass when finishing a tiring sixth making her 2020 debut here on Jan. 4 in the 7 1/2-furlong Ginger Brew.

Hear My Prayer quickly sprinted to command along the rail, readily shook off the pace pressing Foolish Humor leaving the turn, settled into the stretch with a comfortable advantage and was never seriously threatened thereafter. Compensate, well placed while saving ground behind the early leaders, swung wide into the stretch and rallied mildly to easily be second-best, finishing 3 1/4 lengths in front of the tiring Foolish Humor, who was making her first start in six months.

Hear My Prayer completed five furlongs in 55.89 over a firm course and paid $4.

One hour later, Cajun Casanova became a stakes winner for the second time while showing a new dimension in the process, rallying from off the pace to a neck decision over the pacesetting R Man Joe in the $75,000 Texas Glitter.

Cajun Casanova, haltered for $50,000 by trainer Michael Pino in the interests of Smart Angle LLP out of a winning effort here on Jan. 23, entered the Texas Glitter off a pace-pressing second-place finish in an open allowance race on Feb. 17. Off a step slow and shuffled back a bit during the early running, Cajun Casanova found himself in midpack turning for home but finished with good energy down the center of the track once settling into the stretch, ultimately running down the tiring leader in the final yards.

R Man Joe quickly sprinted clear and controlled the race throughout, but could not quite last. Guildsman, making his U.S. debut for trainer Brendan Walsh, broke tardily from the rail, raced near the rear of the field in the run down the backstretch before rallying belatedly to finish third in a promising effort. Aye Aye Sir, the tepid 2-1 favorite in the field of eight 3-year-old turf sprinters, finished a tiring sixth after prompting the early running.

Cajun Casanova, a 3-year-old Florida-bred son of Cajun Breeze, registered his fourth win in eight career starts. He completed five furlongs in 55.28 under jockey Miguel Vasquez and returned $9.40.