Ms Locust Point arrives early for Princess Rooney

Nominations for the Grade 2, $250,000 Princess Rooney on June 30 do not close until Sunday. But trainer John Servis has planned well ahead for the race, shipping his speedy Ms Locust Point to South Florida from her summer base at Parx to complete preparations for the seven-furlong event, a Win and You’re In qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

Ms Locust Point disappointed in her only local appearance, finishing fifth as the 6-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Forward Gal in 2017, a rare subpar performance for the daughter of Dialed In. She went to the sidelines for nine months after the race.

“She was having some foot issues that obviously was the cause of her poor effort in the Forward Gal,” said Servis. “We just couldn’t get them corrected and decided to give her some time to get right again. She’s returned a much better filly, more mature. She’s learned to settle a little more since then and has become a better horse as a result.”

Ms Locust Point won four races in a row rather comfortably upon launching her comeback last fall, including the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie by 4 1/2 lengths going seven furlongs this winter at Laurel Park. The streak ended with a troubled trip that prevented her from showing her best speed in the Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland. In her only start since the Madison, Ms Locust Point finished third as the favorite in the Skipat Stakes over a sloppy track at Pimlico on May 18.

“She shipped to Palm Meadows on Monday and will probably have the first of her two works for the race down there this weekend,” said Servis, who kept approximately 20 horses at Palm Meadows this winter with his son Tyler. “This should give her plenty of time to get acclimated to the weather, which I think should be to her advantage. I also think she prefers seven furlongs to a one-turn mile best, so the conditions of the race should really suit her well.”

Servis is staying year round in South Florida for the first time this summer and is off to a good start, with three victories from 12 starters and a 50 percent in-the-money mark at the current meet.

“The big reason I kept a bunch behind was to solidify my stall situation [at Palm Meadows] for the winter,” said Servis. “In addition, I do have some overflow here at Parx, and my son just bought a house in the area, so it works out well from those standpoints as well. In the end, it keeps them happy, it keeps me happy. It’s a good situation all around.”

The Princess Rooney will be the highlight of the Summit of Speed card on June 30, with defending champion Curlin’s Approval also pointed for the event.

The Smile Sprint also has a $250,000 purse but was downgraded to a Grade 3 this season and as a result lost its Win and You’re In status for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Despite that, the race is expected to feature X Y Jet in his first start since his narrow setback to Mind Your Biscuits in the Dubai Golden Shaheen.

Nominations for the other four stakes on the card also close Sunday.