With limited options, Lady Grace returns in abbreviated sprint

Trainer Mark Casse stopped on Lady Grace following two wins at Gulfstream Park earlier this year with the idea of stretching her out a little bit in distance in New York this spring and summer. With New York racing on hold and Gulfstream conducting business (almost) as usual, Lady Grace will return to the races Saturday in a second-level/optional $62,500 claimer for fillies and mares going five furlongs at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track.

The race is the 11th on a 12-race card that begins shortly after 12:45 p.m., and shares top billing with race 9, the same kind of race but at a mile.

Lady Grace, a daughter of Kantharos, came off a seven-month layoff to win a Florida-bred optional claimer by one length on Jan. 10. Thirty-three days later, Lady Grace beat open allowance rivals by 1 1/2 lengths. In both instances, she took advantage of rapid early fractions to rally from off the pace.

“We bought her out of the 2-year-old sales,” said Casse, who trains Lady Grace for Tracy Farmer. “She trained okay but never great. She ran decent but not great. I gave her time off and when she came back she was a different horse, and you’ve seen that in those two races. I think she’ll be better going a little farther.”

Saturday’s race brings together the top three finishers from a similar race run on Jan. 5. That day, Hidden Facts and Kitten’s Covergirl got into a spirited speed duel. Hidden Facts put Kitten’s Covergirl away only to be run down by Charmaine’s Mia. Since then, Charmaine’s Mia has finished fourth and 10th in sprint stakes. Saturday, she is one of two horses in the body of the race in for the $62,500 claiming price.

:: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Two newcomers to this group who warrant respect are Miss Auramet and Stylishly.

Miss Auramet, trained by Eddie Plesa, is coming off front-running victories in both the Florida-bred and open first-level ranks. She brings more speed to the party.

Stylishly, trained by Cherie DeVaux, returns from a six-month layoff after winning two of three starts last summer at Del Mar for Simon Callaghan and then going through the auction ring. Stylishly was one of the first horses DeVaux trained after going out on her own in 2018. Stylishly wound up in California because she got rained off the turf several times in Kentucky last summer.

DeVaux believes Stylishly would be better with more distance, but noted: “She’s won at five [furlongs]. She has to have the right setup at five.”

In race 9, Rideforthecause and Zarina could offer value cutting back to a mile after finishing fourth and eighth in the same second-level optional claimer going 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream on March 27. Last fall, Rideforthecause won going 7 1/2 furlongs and 1 1/16 miles.

In her last start of 2019, Rideforthecause finished sixth, beaten just two lengths, in the Tropical Park Oaks going 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream.

“I thought it was a really good race,” said Gail Cox, who trains Rideforthecause for Sam-Son Farm. “She was making up ground. She wasn’t beat very far. She was a little far back earlier than usual for her.”

Dylan Davis rides Rideforthecause from post 8.

Zarina is already a three-time winner going a mile on turf, including a listed stakes win at odds of 16-1 last July 6. Her eighth-place finish going 1 1/8 miles March 27 came in her first start since last September.

“I liked the way she ran the first time out going a mile and an eighth,” said Chad Stewart, who trains Zarina for Robert Roffey Jr. “I think she’ll be able to get up going a mile as long as everything works out right.”

Luis Reyes rides Zarina from post 3.

Art of Almost, who placed in a pair of graded stakes last summer, returns from an eight-month layoff and drops in class for trainer Roger Attfield.