Night Breeze: Fastest of fast in Dame Mysterieuse
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - There will be speed to burn in Monday's $65,000 Dame Mysterieuse Stakes at Gulfstream Park, and the fastest of them all may be Night Breeze, who brings an unblemished record into the five-furlong overnight stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Night Breeze was perfect in three starts at 2 for trainer Graham Motion while campaigning exclusively at Pimlico. Two of those victories came in stakes, including the Maryland Million Lassie in her juvenile finale Oct. 13.
"We decided to give her a break after the Lassie," said Motion. "Three races were enough as a
2-year-old. This will be a big step for her, moving into open company, but the race looks like a perfect spot to bring her back, being at five furlongs. She's very quick."
Jerry Bailey will be aboard Night Breeze for the first time Monday.
Night Breeze, a Lazy Lane Farms homebred, has never been headed at any call in her three starts. But with several other speedsters in the lineup, most notably Preferred Option and Castelli Miss, Night Breeze could find herself challenged for the lead in the Dame Mysterieuse.
Preferred Option led throughout to dominate maiden competition by 10 lengths Jan. 6 and was in front through midstretch before succumbing to Colonial Glitter under preliminary allowance conditions three weeks later.
Castelli Miss posted fractions of 21-and-change and 44-and-change en route to her maiden win at The Meadowlands in the fall. She has a pair of bullet five-furlong works over this track in preparation for her 3-year-old debut.
Bold World also launches her 3-year-old campaign in the Dame Mysterieuse. Like Night Breeze, she is a stakes winner, having earned her diploma against winners last summer in Calder's seven-furlong Susan's Girl Stakes.
Awol, Darby Haven, Open Story, and Elizabethswildrose round out the starting lineup.
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