Motion seeks momentum with Three Priests
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That sigh heard in South Florida late Sunday afternoon came from trainer Graham Motion after he watched Smart Union give him his first winner at the Gulfstream Park winter meet with his 28th starter.
Motion hopes it’s a harbinger of what’s to come at Gulfstream, where on Thursday he sends out logical contender Three Priests in a first-level allowance/optional $35,000 claiming race scheduled for 1 1/2 miles on the turf.
Three Priests, a 6-year-old Japanese-bred daughter of Deep Impact, has run in three stakes in the U.S. dating back to last September. When still under the care of Roger Varian, Three Priests finished third in the Grade 3 Ladies Marathon at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 7.
Transferred to Motion after that race, Three Priests finished last in the Athenia Stakes at Aqueduct, a race in which she was cutting back to 1 1/8 miles. On Dec. 26, Three Priests stretched back out to 1 3/8 miles in the Via Borghese Stakes, where she finished fourth. In that race, Three Priests found herself on the lead early on before being taken off the pace.
“It set up very oddly,” Motion said. “I ran another horse [Marksman Queen] in the race that I 100 percent thought would be on the lead, but that filly didn’t break well.”
Three Priests was only beaten 1 3/4 lengths by La Mehana and Forever After All, who were a neck apart at the wire. Forever After All came back to win the Grade 3 La Prevoyante, a race in which La Mehana finished third.
Motion has history with the family of Three Priests, having trained her mother, Guilty Twelve, and a half-sibling to Three Priests in Five Town. Motion felt a step back in class could help Three Priests successfully kick off her 6-year-old campaign.
“She’s eligible for this condition. It’s kind of a good restart for her. She’s done well down there,” Motion said.
John Velazquez will ride Three Priests from the rail.
Sugaree, a 5-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Camelot, will be making her U.S. debut and first start since June. She arrived in trainer Arnaud Delacour’s barn last fall.
“It took her a while to get going and get used to the running style that we have here, switching leads,” Delacour said. “We took our time. I think she’s ready. A mile and a half is what she wants to do and they’re not very easy races to find.”
Javier Castellano rides Sugaree from post 2.
Bravo Kitten, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., is the only member of the field with more than one win. She won a 1 3/8-mile allowance race on the Gulfstream turf course last March. Most recently, she finished third, beaten a half-length in a $35,000 claimer, going a mile and 70 yards over the synthetic surface on Jan. 18.
Silvology is coming off a maiden victory going 1 3/8 miles over Gulfstream’s turf on Jan. 9 for trainer Shug McGaughey. El Megeeth, trained by Todd Pletcher, won a 1 3/16-mile maiden race over the Tapeta track on Jan. 2.
I’m a Sure Thing’s lone win from 11 starts came going 1 1/2 miles over Gulfstream’s Tapeta track in January 2024. She has one second and a trio of third-place finishes from four starts over Gulfstream Park’s turf course.
Tonalite and Justdeny complete the field.
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