Onna Bugeisha trips out nicely in local debut
Onna Bugeisha could be a handful when she makes her first start on the East Coast in the $60,000 Sand Dollar for fillies and mares at Gulfstream Park on Sunday. There are no standouts in the one-mile race, which drew seven horses, and the shape of the race could favor Onna Bugeisha.
The Sand Dollar goes as race 6 on a nine-race card that begins at 1 p.m. Eastern.
Onna Bugeisha, now trained by Marty Wolfson, has good speed and used it to compile a 2-3-3 record from 13 starts in California while racing for trainers Greg James at Golden Gate Fields and Carla Gaines in Southern California.
She finished first or second in four straights starts for Gaines last year and closed out her 2014 campaign with a narrow loss to Legacy in the $78,000 Cypress at Los Alamitos on July 6. Legacy hasn’t won since but did finish third in the Grade 2 Bayakoa at Los Alamitos on Dec. 6.
As usual, Onna Bugeisha flashed speed before finishing fourth in a $62,500 optional claimer on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita in her first start this year Feb. 8. She came back with a surprisingly poor performance, however, finishing a distant fifth in a similar race on the main track at Santa Anita on March 20.
The 5-year-old mare has never tried a one-turn mile, but if she regains her midsummer form from 2014, she could be tough to handle.
KEY CONTENDERS
Onna Bugeisha (Last 3 Beyers: 74-82-89)
◗ She can either take them all the way or stalk Flutterby, who has to be considered suspect speed.
◗ She had a nice four-furlong breeze at Gulfstream on April 15, and according to DRF Formulator, Wolfson has a 25 percent strike rate with new shooters over the past five years.
Oasis At Midnight (Last 3 Beyers: 81-80-81)
◗ She will appreciate the easier company after tackling some tough ones here in the Grade 3 Rampart and Grade 2 Royal Delta. House Rules, first in the Rampart and second in the Royal Delta, won the Grade 3 Top Flight at Aqueduct on April 11.
◗ Trained by Joseph Orseno, Oasis At Midnight is a deep closer and could get an honest pace to work with if Flutterby breaks sharply from her inside post.
Imposing Grace (Last 3 Beyers: 71-85-44)
◗ The Lars Becdelamotte trainee was out of her element running on turf and without blinkers in her first start this year and could rebound while being back on the main track and with the blinkers going back on.
Rainbow 6 payout Saturday
Gulfstream has scheduled a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool for Saturday.