Omixochitl, Miss You Ella rematched in Cellars Shiraz

Omixochitl and Miss You Ella will renew acquaintance in the $70,000 Cellars Shiraz on Friday at Gulfstream Park. The mile and 70-yard race on Tapeta for 3-year-old fillies drew 10 horses and goes as race 8 on a 10-race program that begins at 12:45 p.m. Eastern.

The last time they met, Omixochitl beat Miss You Ella by a length in the $75,000 Miss Gracie on July 23 at Gulfstream. She paid $14.60 for her one-length victory over Miss You Ella, who was favored in the 1 1/16-mile race on Tapeta.

Omixochitl, trained by Fausto Gutierrez, will likely be favored Friday. After all, following her victory over Miss You Ella, Omixochitl came back with a strong effort going 1 1/8 miles on turf in the $209,000 Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs, holding the lead at the eighth pole before settling for fifth. Three of the four horses that finished in front of her won their next race, most notably Sparkle Blue, who took down the Grade 3 Valley View on Oct. 28 at Keeneland. Omixochitl then won a second-level allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option on the Horseshoe Indianapolis turf course Oct. 13.

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Omixochitl will not mind the surface switch and should get a nice trip from a forward position after breaking from post 5 with Edgar Perez up.

Miss You Ella followed up her runner-up finish in the Miss Gracie with two solid efforts on the all-weather course for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Miss You Ella lost a first-level allowance race by a nose Aug. 21 and came from midpack to win at the same level Sept. 24. Both races were at 1 1/16 miles.

Miss You Ella will break from post 3 with Edgard Zayas retaining the mount.

The Joseph-trained Siempre Elegante won a maiden special weight race running over a synthetic surface for the first time on Sept. 2 at Gulfstream. The 81 Beyer Speed Figure she received is the second-best last-race figure in the field behind the 87 given to Omixochitl for her sharp win on turf. Edwin Gonzalez will be aboard when Siempre Elegante breaks from post 5.

Katies a Lady has a right to move forward following her third-place finish behind Miss You Ella on Sept. 24. Trained by Kathleen O’Connell, Katies a Lady was making her first start on synthetic and first since she won a first-level allowance race on turf by a nose on May 6 at Tampa Bay.

Katies a Lady could be the one they have to run down. She breaks from post 2 with Luca Panici riding.

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