Miss Auramet looking to avoid soft turf in Bay Harbor Islands
Firm turf or Tapeta. Those are the desired options for Miss Auramet heading into the $60,000 Bay Harbor Islands on Friday at Gulfstream Park – a race that could be impacted by the weather.
The Bay Harbor Islands is carded for five furlongs on turf, but there is rain in the forecast leading up to the overnight handicap for fillies and mares.
Eddie Plesa Jr., who trains leading contender Miss Auramet, has been keeping close tabs on the weather.
“She doesn’t like a soft course,” he said. “They’re calling for rain down here. Will they get enough rain to take it off and put it on the other surface? I don’t know. I’m probably hoping for that.
“I’d rather have it on the Tapeta than on a soft turf course.”
The Bay Harbor Islands is the 10th race on a 12-race card. A field of seven is set to start, including Headline Hunter, winner of the off-the-turf Captiva Island Stakes in March at Gulfstream, and Running Memories, who won an overnight handicap over Miss Auramet on May 8 at Gulfstream.
“It’s a very competitive race,” Plesa said.
Miss Auramet was favored May 8 and set quick fractions in the turf sprint run at about five furlongs. She zipped the opening half-mile in 44.09 seconds and finished second by 1 3/4 lengths in the race that went in 55.97. Earlier in the season, Miss Auramet won the third stakes race of her career in the $100,000 Ladies Turf Sprint in February at Gulfstream. She brings an 11-for-30 record into the Friday feature.
“She just shows up each and every time,” said Plesa, who trains the mare for David Melin, Leon Ellman, and Laurie Plesa.
Miss Auramet drew inside of the quick Running Memories when the pair met last out, but that will be different Friday. Miss Auramet starts from post 5, and Running Memories will break to her immediate inside, from post 4.
Emisael Jaramillo again has the mount on Miss Auramet.
“She does not have to be on the lead,” Plesa said. “If somebody wants the lead and wants it bad enough, they can have it. She’s shown in the past she can come from off the pace.”
Running Memories is a four-time winner over the Gulfstream turf course, just like Miss Auramet. Running Memories also has had success on the track’s Tapeta surface, winning a $25,000 starter allowance in February. Kevin Krigger has the mount for trainer Joe Orseno.
Headline Hunter is back at Gulfstream after a start at Keeneland, and the last two times she has run in South Florida she has won. Edgar Perez has the mount from post 3 for trainer Jose D’Angelo.
◗ The status of Freedom Matters in Friday’s eighth race depends on the weather. He will vie for favoritism in the starter allowance at a mile on turf, but also is nominated to the $65,000 Soldier’s Dancer that will be run Sunday at Gulfstream.
“He’s entered on the grass on Friday and if that’s rained off, he’ll go in the stakes,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “He’s much better on the grass.”