Honey Dijon takes to added distance in FSS My Dear Girl

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Honey Dijon completed a big day for her sire, Girvin, as well as owner-breeder Brad Grady and jockey Paco Lopez after rallying from just off the pace to a 2 3/4-length triumph over the previously undefeated R Harper Rose in Saturday's $300,000 My Dear Girl Stakes at Gulfstream Park, the final leg of the filly division of the Florida Sire Series. Girvin also sired the Grady owned and bred Seminole Chief, who upset the In Reality Stakes earlier on the card. Both winners were ridden to victory by Lopez.

Honey Dijon, who won her maiden this summer at Saratoga, was a well beaten second making her local debut behind R Harper Rose in the seven-furlong Susan’s Girl Stakes on Oct. 21. But the added distance, with both fillies stretching out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time in the My Dear Girl, was obviously the difference maker in the rematch.

As expected, R Harper Rose, who came into the race undefeated and virtually untested in three previous starts, set the pace with Lopez content to rate Honey Dijon within easy striking distance, while saving ground in the run down the backstretch. Honey Dijon tipped out and engaged the leader leaving the final turn, before ultimately edging to a relatively easy win despite finishing on her left lead just as Seminole Chief had during the stretch run of the In Reality.

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Despite shortening stride some through the final furlong, R Harper Rose was easily second best finishing 7 1/4 lengths in front of third place finisher Haunted.

Trained by Joe Sharp, Honey Dijon covered 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:45.60, just .01 seconds slower than Seminole Chief completed the same distance several hours earlier.

“I was really happy, obviously, to see her stretch out like that,” said Sharp, who watched the race from the Fair Grounds where he ran a horse in the Claiming Crown earlier Saturday. “It looks like she’s an improving filly and two turns opens up a whole new door for us. We’re going to give her a little freshening after this and be rested up for a nice 3-year-old campaign.”

Like his colleague Jose D’Angelo minutes after the odds on Bentornato suffered his first defeat in the In Reality, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. had no excuse for R Harper Rose following the My Dear Girl.

“She ran her race and just got beat. That’s all you can say. She got beat fair and square,” said Joseph, who added R Harper Rose would also be given a bit of a break before launching her 3-year-old season in 2024.

Skyro takes Sabal Palm

Skyro wrapped up his 2023 campaign the same place it began a little more than 10 months earlier, in an overnight handicap over the Tapeta course at Gulfstream Park. Only this time the results were just a tad better after Skyro registered a game three quarter-length victory over Amstrong in the $100,000 Sabal Palm.

Skyro had finished second, beaten 1 1/4 lengths by Wolfie’s Dynaghost, when kicking off the year under similar conditions here back on Jan. 28.

Skyro, who won his only other start over the Tapeta in his 2022 finale, is trained by Brian Lynch and was ridden to victory by Joe Bravo. He paid $10.80.

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