My Destiny could make her swan song in Sugar Swirl

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The well-traveled My Destiny will finally get a chance to compete again over her home grounds when she makes what could be the final start of her career next Saturday in the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl. The six-furlong Sugar Swirl is one of four stakes on a card that also features the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector.

My Destiny has raced at five different tracks in four different states since capturing a starter allowance here in late March, including Remington Park, where she won the Flashy Lady Handicap by 5 1/4 lengths Sept. 24 in what was arguably the best performance of her career. The victory was the 10th in 26 tries for the daughter of Majesticperfection, who is trained by Herman Wilensky.

My Destiny looked sharp prepping for the six-furlong Sugar Swirl on Friday, breezing four furlongs in 47.09 before galloping out five-eighths in 1:00.97 under regular rider Edwin Gonzalez. She worked over a drying-out racetrack officially listed as good following the second renovation break.

“I was kind of nervous we might not get this work in with all the rain we’ve had, but fortunately they harrowed the track after the break. It was in great shape, and she got over it very well,” said Wilensky. “Obviously we wish there were more races for her here, but trainers know when she’s in town so those starter races she’s eligible for just don’t fill. She’s been on the road a lot because we’ve tried to find races where we think she has the best shot to win, and fortunately she’s been able to do that.”

Wilensky said the Sugar Swirl is an important race for My Destiny’s soon-to-begin broodmare career. She’s booked to be bred to sprint champion Elite Power.

“We’d love to get a graded stakes win on her résumé. Even if she could hit the board Saturday, it would be a really big help for breeding purposes,” said Wilensky.

Only eight fillies and mares have been nominated for the Sugar Swirl, although Wilensky said the racing office told him they are confident the race will fill.

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“They tell me there will be six horses in the race and of course the less the better as far as I’m concerned because it will give her a better chance of hitting the board,” Wilensky added.

BC runner in co-feature

Sunday’s program is highlighted by a pair of optional-claiming and allowance races, the first for 2-year-olds, the second for older fillies and mares. Both events are carded for the turf but with more rain in the forecast over the weekend, they are more likely to end up being decided over the synthetic Tapeta course.

The Irish-bred 2-year-old Cuban Thunder figures to attract plenty of support when he makes his local debut in the fifth race. He returns to allowance competition after being overmatched and finishing a distant seventh behind division leader Fierceness in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita.

A switch to the Tapeta might actually be to Cuban Thunder’s advantage, as the best race on his form in Europe came over a synthetic track in Dundalk, Ireland, where he finished third, beaten 5 1/4 lengths by Mountain Bear, in the Star Appeal Stakes. Mountain Bear truly flattered the performance by returning to finish second four weeks later in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Cuban Thunder, who is owned by AMO Racing USA, remained in the country following the Breeders’ Cup and was transferred locally to trainer Jorge Delgado.

A field of nine was entered for the race, a group that includes four last-out maiden winners, two of whom, Salvattore Prince and Zio Lorenzo, won their maidens here on the Tapeta track. Salvattore Prince won by 4 1/4 lengths going a mile and 70 yards, Zio Lorenzo in similarly easy fashion after going wire to wire in a five-furlong sprint.

Another member of the field who would benefit should the co-feature be taken off the grass is Banneker, a well-graded 4 3/4-length maiden winner at first asking over the synthetic track at Presque Isle Downs for trainer Jack Sisterson.

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