HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Chad Brown admitted to being pleasantly surprised as he watched the $150,000 Orchid Stakes unfold Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Longshot Viva La Red set a fairly rapid pace that ultimately played a key role in Brown’s McKulick rallying to a popular half-length victory over Surprisingly in the Grade 3 race for older fillies and mares on the turf. “I was really pleased to see that pace,” Brown said. “On paper, it looked like a very paceless race. What a gift. When there’s pace in front of her, she normally finds a good trip.  I just didn’t see it on paper. Sometimes it happens. That’s turf racing. And today it worked out for us.” Making her first start since finishing 12th and last in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, McKulick raced within easy striking distance of Creative Cairo, who posted early splits of 23.32 seconds, 47.16 and 1:12.3 for the opening six furlongs of the 1 1/2-mile Orchid. With regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, McKulick made a quick move to join for command three-wide on the final turn, edged clear when roused upon settling into the stretch, then withstood a final bid from Surprisingly. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports The latter eased back off the early leader, saved ground exiting the backstretch the final time, angled out to commence her bid entering the stretch, came on willingly between horses but was not quite good enough. European invader La Mehana finished another 1 1/4 lengths farther back in third in her U.S. debut after taking up sharply shortly after the start. A claim of foul by jockey Joel Rosario aboard La Mehana against Surprisingly was disallowed. McKulick completed the 1 1/2 miles over a firm course in 2:25.20. She returned $4.60 while giving Ortiz his fourth win on the card and earning a 92 Beyer Speed Figure. Brown said it was gratifying to have McKulick, winner of the Grade 1 Belmont Derby at 3, bounce back after her disappointing effort five months ago in the Filly and Mare Turf.   “I never expected her to sit in the rear of the field like that in the Breeders’ Cup,” Brown said. “As it turned out it was a really solid race. It’s not like I look back and expected her to win the race, but I wouldn’t have brought her if I thought she wouldn’t at least pass a few horses down the lane. Maybe she had a long year and needed a break. She’s had a nice little winter off. And she’s such a consistent filly, a horse who handles soft ground or really firm ground like today,” Brown said McKulick would likely be pointed to the $200,000, Grade 3 Sheepshead Bay at Aqueduct on May 3.   After a series of near misses in graded stakes, Cairo Consort returned to the winner’s circle for the first time in 14 months and rallied to a 1 3/4-length triumph over Fast as Flight in the $125,000 Sand Springs Stakes. The victory was the fifth on the card for leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr.  Cairo Consort won her first two outings here a year ago under Ortiz including the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant on February 4 before dropping her next six starts, which included being beaten a head in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride and a neck in the Grade 2 Appalachian during the spring at Keeneland. In her most recent appearance, Cairo Consort finished third, beaten less than three lengths by R Kalli Kim, in the Grade 3 The Very One four weeks ago. Trained by Todd Pletcher for the partnership of Repole Stable and Town and Country Racing, Cairo Consort raced midpack for the opening six furlongs of the 1 1/16-mile Sand Springs before angling wide into the stretch and finishing full of run down the center of the course to win going away.  The pacepressing Fast as Flight out-lasted the late-running Fuente Ovejuna by a nose to be second-best.  Grade 1 winner Marketsegmentation, the odds-on favorite, raced within striking distance into the stretch but came up empty through the final furlong to finish fifth while making her first start since July. Cairo Consort paid $9.80. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.