Petulante being considered for New York trip

Petulante missed an intended stakes start last month, but is back working regularly at his Gulfstream Park base and could see graded stakes action in New York this fall, according to trainer Victor Barboza Jr.

Petulante had been training toward a start in the Grade 3, $250,000 Philip H. Iselin on Aug. 19 at Monmouth Park, but a small setback disrupted those plans, Barboza said. The horse had won the Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth in June.

“He’s good now,” Barboza said. “He had his second breeze last weekend.”

Barboza said Petulante would be considered for the Grade 2, $400,000 Woodward for 3-year-olds and up at the Belmont at Aqueduct fall meet. The 1 1/8-mile race is Sept. 30.

Barboza said another option is the Grade 2, $300,000 Forty Niner at the same meet. The one-mile race is Oct. 28.

“He’s the best horse in the barn,” Barboza said.

Petulante, a 4-year-old by Arrogate, has won his last three starts, two of them with Beyer Speed Figures of 95. He is owned by Lugamo Racing Stable. Petulante has won 4 of 6 starts overall, including his debut last summer at Gulfstream with a Beyer of 90.

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Steal Sunshine home

Steal Sunshine, who made the ship from Gulfstream for the Iselin, is back home, trainer Bobby Dibona said last week. The multiple stakes winner closed for third and earned a Beyer of 92.

“He looks great,” Dibona said. “He did everything he was supposed to do. He needs some pace and they kind of walked the dog a little. He finished strong. It was a tough pace to close into. We’re happy with him.”

Steal Sunshine, who won last year’s Carry Back at Gulfstream, races for Carrie Brogden. Plans are to be determined, Dibona said.

“We’ll see,” Dibona said. “Naturally, Carrie is the boss. I would like to see him unwind a little bit. Down the road, we’ve got the Championship meet.”

On Friday, Gulfstream launched its Sunshine meet, which continues through Nov. 26. The track then moves into its Championship meet on Dec. 1.

Princess Rooney tops meet

Highlights of the Sunshine meet include the Grade 3, $200,000 Princess Rooney Invitational on Oct. 7. The seven-furlong race is a qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in November at Santa Anita.

The $100,000 Dr. Fager and $100,000 Desert Vixen, which are divisions of the Florida Sire Stakes for 2-year-olds, will be held Sept. 9. The second legs of the series, the $200,000 Affirmed and $200,000 Susan’s Girl, are set for Oct. 21.

The final divisions in the series, the $300,000 In Reality and $300,000 My Dear Girl, are during the Championship meet on Dec. 2.

◗ Gulfstream puts the spotlight on youth Sunday with a pair of maiden special weight races for 2-year-olds. In the fifth race, which is for Florida-bred fillies at six furlongs, Next On Stage should go favored after running second to the stakes-bound Star of Saturn at this same level Aug. 6. The third-place finisher from the race, Hepburn, returned in her next start to win a maiden special weight at Gulfstream.

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