Leading contenders in Hollywood Beach ship from Colonial Downs

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A trio of juveniles who have run their best races at Colonial Downs – Ghostly Rose, Lazio, and Moon Factor – will try the Gulfstream Park turf for the first time on Saturday, weather permitting, when they figure to be among the leading contenders in the $95,000 Hollywood Beach Stakes.

The local area was under a Tropical Storm warning and was expected to feel some of the effects of the outer bands from Hurricane Helene on Friday, which could put the availability of the grass course in jeopardy over the weekend.

Ghostly Rose appears to be the most formidable of the Colonial invaders coming off a late-running third-place finish earlier this month in the Rosie’s Stakes, chasing home a pair of previous stakes winners, Governor Sam and Out On Bail. Governor Sam came into the race off a victory in Monmouth Park’s Tyro, while Out On Bail was a game winner of Saratoga’s Skidmore in his previous start.

Ghostly Rose overcame an unlucky start, wide trip, and a late lead change to finish just 2 1/4 lengths behind the odds-on Governor Sam while earning a career-best 68 Beyer Speed Figure in the process. Trained by Javier Gonzalez, Ghostly Rose will be returning to his South Florida roots for the Hollywood Beach. The Florida-bred son of Battalion Runner won his career debut by 2 3/4 lengths over the Tapeta course here on June 21.

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Gonzalez said he thought Ghostly Rose, who went postward at 17-1 at first asking, was better than his workouts indicated prior to his first start but admitted to being surprised by the manner in which he won. The performance earned the youngster a pair of stakes opportunities out of town, including a fifth-place finish, eight lengths behind Governor Sam, in the Tyro.

“We went to New Jersey, and he had a bad trip,” Gonzalez said of the Tyro. “In the [Rosie’s] he got bumped at the start too, but at the end of the race, he really flew.”

Lazio won his maiden in impressive fashion at second asking at Colonial on Aug. 17, leading throughout to register a 2 3/4-length triumph while receiving a 70 Beyer, the highest of anyone in the Hollywood Beach lineup. His victory was flattered after both the second- and third-place finishers – Warheart and El Tinmarin – returned to win their next starts. But Lazio was a disappointment in the Rosie’s, finishing a tiring and distant eighth after prompting the early pace.

Moon Factor was also a wire-to-wire maiden winner at Colonial, taking a restricted maiden $40,000 claimer in his second start by three lengths for trainer Gerard Ochoa.

The local contingent is headed by Most Handsome, who won his only previous start over the Tapeta surface here four weeks earlier, and Mila’s Wish, who will be blinkers off while scheduled to try turf for the first time.

Breeding aficionados might try to wake up the Antonio Sano-trained Discreet Dancer. He finished far back while overmatched in his only two previous starts on the main track against maiden special weight opposition this summer at Saratoga.

Discreet Dancer, by Tapit, will race in blinkers for the first time and is a half-brother to three previous grass winners, including the multiple graded stakes winner Sweet Melania, who finished third in her freshman season in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

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