Lynch following familiar path with Just a Care
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Brian Lynch and owner Victoriam Farm LLC swept Gulfstream Park’s annual five-furlong turf sprint series for fillies and mares a year ago with Stone Silent. On Saturday, the pair will try to take step two toward repeating the feat when sending out Just a Care as the likely favorite in the $140,000 Ladies’ Turf Sprint.
Just a Care was purchased for $200,000 by Victoriam Farm at Keeneland’s November breeding stock sale, with the local turf sprint series as its first goal. They successfully launched their quest when Just a Care rallied from well off the pace to a 1 1/2-length victory in the Dec. 28 Abundantia over Karaya, who also returns in the Ladies’ Turf Sprint. Just a Care had captured two of her three previous starts in gate-to-wire fashion for her previous trainer, Rusty Arnold.
“When we got her out of the sale last year, she was in great form and looked amazing when she came to us,” said Lynch, who is in the midst of another terrific Championship meet, with 13 victories heading into the race week. “We’ve been lucky enough just to continue on that. We bought her in mind to try the grass series the other filly swept last year. She got leg one, now let’s see if she can get the second one.”
Just a Care has worked three times over the Palm Meadows turf course since the Abundantia, including an easy half-mile in 49.20 seconds on Sunday.
“She’s trained great, drew a perfect post, and Luis Saez is back on, and he’s had success with her, so that’s good,” said Lynch.
Karaya rallied from even further back to be clearly second best in the Abundantia for trainer Mark Casse, earning a career-high 87 Beyer Speed Figure in the process. It was the second stakes-placing for the improving filly, who was runner-up in the Melody of Colors over the Tapeta course here during the 2023-24 Championship meet.
The Ladies’ Turf Sprint also includes stakes winners Freedom Speaks and Beauty of the Sea, the multiple stakes-placed Blind Spot, and the last-out allowance winner Epona’s Hope. Shoshanah, Weekend Rags, and Sinead round out the field of nine.
Freedom Speaks has not started since finishing seventh, beaten by just 2 1/4 lengths, in the Grade 3 Caress last summer at Saratoga. She was subsequently transferred to the barn of trainer Heather Smullen, who has sent her out to work four times in preparation for her 2025 debut. Those works include a bullet five furlongs in 58.90, out three-quarters in 1:12, over the Tapeta course on Jan. 19.
Freedom Speaks won the Music City Stakes going 6 1/2 furlongs at Kentucky Downs for trainer Jeremiah Englehart in the fall of 2022.
“We’ve had her about two months, and she’s been working well,” said Smullen. “Five furlongs is probably not ideal, but there were just no other spots for her right now. It was either stakes or allowance races not at her best distances. She’s definitely ready to go five-eighths and there looks like a good bit of pace in there, which would help.”
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