Joseph enjoys strength in numbers in Martha Washington Stakes
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Due to the ongoing construction to install a new Tapeta surface over the outer third of the turf course, and with a rail setting at 48 feet, only nine horses are permitted to start in Saturday’s $75,000 Martha Washington Stakes at Gulfstream Park. And of that nine, three come from the barn of leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who will send out the 3-year-old fillies Hana Lima, Tik Tok Famous, and Champagne Ivy to go one mile on the grass.
The Martha Washington highlights a 12-race program that also includes a $53,000 allowance event at a mile on the main track. The field includes Sole Volante, who makes his first start on dirt since his 11th-place finish in the 2020 Kentucky Derby, and Grade 3 winner Trophy Chaser, who makes his first start in nearly 14 months.
Joseph said he likes the chances of all three of his fillies in the Martha Washington. Hana Lima has made only one start and Tik Tok Famous has made two, and each takes a step up off a maiden win. Champagne Ivy comes into the race still a maiden after six starts.
Hana Lima was an impressive four-length winner going a mile on turf. She went off at 12-1, which was surprising considering she comes from the potent Joseph barn and is nicely bred on both sides for turf.
“She trained really well on the dirt, which was why I was pretty optimistic before her first race since she’s so well bred for the grass,” Joseph said of Hana Lima. “I thought she ran well for her first start. I was really surprised she went off such a big price, and I’m optimistic she’ll improve having had a race on turf.”
Tik Tok Famous, third launching her career going five furlongs on turf last June, returned after spending nearly a year on the sidelines to capture her 3-year-old bow by 4 1/4 lengths going 7 1/2 furlongs on turf here on May 31.
“Tik Tok trained tremendously since coming back from the layoff,” said Joseph. “Her final work before that race was with Math Wizard, and she galloped out really strong, so I was quietly confident she would run well. This is a bit quick to come back off that type of layoff. Horses are sometimes vulnerable in their second start back, but she worked really well with Math Wizard again, so I’m hoping that won’t be the case with her.”
Joseph said Champagne Ivy has been a bit of a disappointment.
“I put blinkers on her last time and she went to the lead, which maybe wasn’t the best approach so we’ll probably take her back a bit on Saturday,” said Joseph. “This race is really more like a never-won-two allowance than a stakes, so I don’t think it’s an impossible spot for her. In fact, I feel all three of our horses fit from a competitive standpoint.”
The horse to beat, according to Joseph and likely the handicappers as well, is Karakatsie, who is coming off a second-place finish behind Con Lima in the Honey Ryder. Con Lima came back earlier this month to upset the Grade 3 Wonder Again at Belmont Park. Trained by Armando De La Cerda, Karakatsie has improved her Beyer Speed Figures with each start, earning a career-best 81 in the Honey Ryder.
Another lightly raced but improving member of the lineup is Charges Dropped, a two-length maiden winner against older horses last out and with a series of strong main-track works since that outing.
The Martha Washington is race 11. Sole Volante and Trophy Chaser meet in race 10.
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Sole Volante is a versatile sort, with two of his four wins coming on dirt, including the Grade 3 Sam Davis at Tampa Bay Downs during the winter of 2020. He also owns a win over the local strip, rallying from last to first to defeat a strong field of allowance rivals that included runner-up Jesus’ Team.
He has not started since finishing ninth on turf in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes on Feb. 6.
Trophy Chaser makes his first appearance since finishing last in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap in May of 2020, which came on the heels of a game victory in Tampa’s Grade 3 Challenger. Trophy Chaser has not finished worse than second in five local appearances, winning three of those starts including a 1 1/8-mile allowance event here during the winter of 2020.