Money or Love ($78.00) big surprise in Musical Romance

Money or Love, far and away the longest price on the board at 35-1, registered a major upset after slipping up the rail to post a one-length decision over R Kinsley Doll in Saturday’s $100,000 Musical Romance Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Eva London finished another length farther back in third, with her uncoupled stablemate Hola Charlotte a disappointing fourth as the favorite in the final local prep for the Grade 2 Princess Rooney on July 2.

Money or Love, whose only previous victory in five local starts this year came against $35,000 starter allowance competition, raced about six lengths off the early pace set by My Dear Venezuela. Money or Love rallied up the rail under jockey Ramsey Zimmerman to wrest command from the pace, pressing R Kinsley Doll near midstretch and won going away.

R Kinsley Doll, who won an overnight stakes in her only previous start this year, forced the issue from the outset, inherited the lead from the tiring leader entering the stretch but proved no match for the winner. Both Eva London and Hola Charlotte raced wide and failed to muster a significant closing response.

Money or Love, a 5-year-old daughter of J Be K, earned $60,000 for the victory, nearly equaling her entire lifetime winnings from 17 previous starts. She completed seven furlongs over a fast track in 1:22.97 and paid $78.00.

“Going down the backside she put me in the catbird seat. They were all struggling on the outside battling for position and I was down in there just relaxing,” said Zimmerman following his 1,729th career victory and first stakes win since 2015. “I went to shoot that hole a little soon, so I had to slow her down a few strides. Then the leader drifted out, and we were in good shape.”

Susie Bee also found the rail the most efficient path to the winner’s circle, rallying along the inside to register a popular victory over the wide-running Inside Out in the $75,000 Christmas Past Stakes. Somethingelse joined the leaders near midstretch, but could not quite match strides with the top two at the end.

The win was the first for Susie Bee since she captured a one-mile overnight stakes here nearly a year earlier; it was the fourth on the card for leading jockey Tyler Gaffalione.

Susie Bee, a 5-year-old daughter of English Channel, is trained by Mike Maker for Calumet Farm. She paid $7.00 after covering 1 1/16 miles over a firm turf in 1:41.87.