Kentucky Pharoah takes control early, cruises to Dania Beach win

Kentucky Pharoah made it 2 for 2 on the turf, outfooting 3-5 favorite Fighting Force for the early lead then cruising to a three-length victory in the $75,000 Dania Beach Stakes for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.

Fighting Force, who sat third early on, made a three-wide bid into contention turning for home, but was no match for Kentucky Pharoah, who, under Julien Leparoux, ran away from Fighting Force in the stretch. Fighting Force finished second by three-quarters of a length over the late-running Cave Hill.

Lauda Speed finished fourth followed by It’s a Gamble and Omaha City. Like a Saltshaker scratched after being diagnosed with a temperature Saturday morning, according to trainer Larry Rivelli.

Kentucky Pharoah, a son of American Pharoah owned and bred by Calumet Farm and trained by Jack Sisterson, had gone 0 for 2 on dirt to begin his career. He won a one-mile maiden race by 3 3/4 lengths on the Gulfstream turf on Dec. 19 and had no trouble running back on just two weeks’ rest.

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“We really put it in Kentucky Pharoah’s hands whether he could come back in two weeks,” Sisterson said after the race. “He ate up, he’s energetic. He was going to breeze [Sunday] at Palm Meadows and he probably was going to breeze too quick, so we said why not run him instead?”

Kentucky Pharoah covered the mile over firm ground in 1:34.07 and returned $8.40 as the second choice.

The next two turf races for 3-year-olds on the South Florida circuit are the Grade 3, $100,000 Kitten’s Joy on Jan. 30 and the Grade 3 $100,000 Palm Beach on Feb. 27.

Con Lima scores in Ginger Brew

Just like her 3-year-old male counterpart Kentucky Pharoah, Con Lima also made it 2 for 2 on turf with a front-running, 3 1/4-length victory in the $75,000 Ginger Brew Stakes.

Honey Pants, the 3-2 favorite, won a photo for second by a head over Designer Ready. It was a length back to I Get It in fourth.

Inthewinnerscircle was fifth, followed by Karakatsie, Viking Queen, and Sweet Pearl. Oyster Box was scratched as she was entered back in an allowance race at Tampa on Wednesday.

Con Lima made her turf debut a winning one with a front-running score in a first-level allowance on Dec. 12 under Irad Ortiz Jr. Ortiz was committed to ride Honey Pants, the favorite in the Ginger Brew, so Paco Lopez had the call on Con Lima Saturday.

Lopez was able to make the lead quite easily on Con Lima, getting and maintaining a clear advantage through a quarter of 23.95 seconds, a half-mile in 47.55 and six furlongs in 1:11.45. Con Lima had plenty left turning for home as she completed the mile in 1:35.23 and returned $6.20 as the second choice.

Con Lima is a daughter of Commissioner owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Eric Niklaus Del Toro, Troy Johnson, and Joseph Graffeo and trained by Todd Pletcher.

“I think she’s a quality filly that handles both surfaces but definitely seems to have found her home especially on the Gulfstream turf course here,” Pletcher said. “She’s got natural speed and it played to her strengths today.”

The Grade 3, $100,000 Sweetest Chant on Jan. 30 and the $100,000 Herecomesthebride on Feb. 27 are among the potential options for Con Lima at Gulfstream.

Competitive Speed upsets Glitter Woman

Trainer Javier Gonzalez was a multiple stakes-winning trainer in Puerto Rico. On Saturday, he won his first stakes in the U.S. when Competitive Spirit ($20) upset the $75,000 Glitter Woman Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Sitting fourth and racing four-wide early under Leonel Reyes, Competitive Spirit ran by the pacesetting Shop Girl inside the eighth pole and drew clear to a three-length victory. Shop Girl finished second by 6 1/2 lengths over Gone to Cabo.

Hit the Woah, the 3-5 favorite, broke poorly and never truly got involved, finishing fourth. Dial to Win and Lucifers Lair completed the order of finish. Dancing Crane scratched.

Competitive Spirt, a daughter of Competitive Edge owned by John Minchello, won for the third consecutive race following a victory in a maiden $25,000 claiming at Gulfstream Park West in November and an optional claimer at Gulfstream on Dec. 6.

“We started the year the right [way] and it seems to me like we’re going to have a very nice and good year,” Gonzalez said.

Competitive Spirit covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.08 and returned $20 as the fifth choice in the field of six.