Muffin Music a lukewarm favorite
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Thursday’s main event is a modest entry-level allowance dash for 3-year-old Florida-bred fillies going six furlongs on the main track. The race lured a field of seven with the Wesley Ward-trained Muffin Music likely to go postward the tepid favorite in a lineup that includes last-out winners Sweet Ember, Jestina, Duchess Eleanor, and Samaritan’s Joy.
Muffin Music will be racing on dirt for just the second time in five career starts. Her first try over the surface resulted in a come-from-behind, 2 1/2-length maiden victory while racing under a $150,000 claiming tag on Oct. 25 at Keeneland. A daughter of Maclean’s Music, Muffin Music is coming off a bit of a disappointing fourth-place finish as the 9-5 favorite when trying the Tapeta course and statebred competition for the first time while making her local debut Jan. 30.
Sweet Ember also figures to attract plenty of backing exiting a gate-to-wire, 1 3/4-length maiden win going five furlongs over the synthetic track in her 3-year-old debut Jan. 15. She earned an 81 Beyer Speed Figure for the performance, which is far and away the highest number posted by any member of this field.
Mish keeps rolling at age 9
Nine-year-old Mish showed class and experience do matter when upsetting the highly touted 4-year-old debut winner and heavily favored Elnajd in Sunday’s headliner.
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The victory was the second in a row and 12th lifetime for Mish, who led at every call under confident handling by jockey Tyler Gaffalione.
Irad Ortiz Jr. guided Mish to his previous win but took the call on Elnajd instead. Mish is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. for C 2 Racing Stable LLC.
“He’s the only 9-year-old we have in the barn but he’s as sound as ever and as fast as ever,” Joseph said. “He came back today and beat a horse that was highly thought of.
“I don’t think you can judge a horse by age. This shows when you have class and you’re good, you’re good.”
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