Pounce displays new tactics, takes the Herecomesthebride Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Different tactics, same result for Pounce.

A front-running winner of an allowance race here on Feb. 11, Pounce rallied from last Saturday to nail Life’s an Audible on the wire and win the Grade 3, $200,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes for 3-year-old turf fillies by a neck at Gulfstream Park.

Life’s an Audible winner of the Sweetest Chant Stakes here Feb. 3, finished 1 3/4 lengths in front of Ozara, winner of the Wait a While and Ginger Brew Stakes earlier this meet.

Javier Castellano rode Pounce in her allowance win, at 7 1/2 furlongs, and with the short run to the first turn, he sent his filly to the lead and she went all the way on the front end.

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Again saddled with an outside draw Saturday – she left from post 8 after scratches – Pounce broke a half-step slow and Castellano decided to keep her in the back while getting in her a ground-saving position.

Mystic Lake set fractions of 23.83 seconds for the quarter and 46.58 for the half-mile while being pursued by Macagna, Ozarz, and Show Off.

Going into the turn, Tyler Gaffalione moved Ozara into second and turning for home she appeared a likely winner. Ozara took the lead in midstretch, but Life’s an Audible, under Irad Ortiz Jr., was also on the move and Pounce was following her. Life’s an Audible made the front, but Pounce picked her up in the final jump.

“Last time I broke good, and sent her to the lead and went wire to wire,” Castellano said. “Different dynamic today, different ballgame the way I handicapped the race. There was a lot of speed in the race and my goal was to save some ground first turn.”

In deep stretch Life’s an Audible, under Irad Ortiz Jr., “came out a little bit,” Castellano said. “I had to hesitate a little bit to go past. When I asked and encouraged her a little bit, she finished really well.”

Pounce, a daughter of Lookin At Lucky owned by Resolute Racing and trained by Mark Casse, covered the mile in 1:33.13, registered a new career high Beyer Speed Figure of 89, and returned $20.

Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Life’s an Audible, said due to the one-mile distance of the Herecomesthebride, he had Ortiz keep the filly a little closer to the pace than perhaps she prefers.

“I think she’s better going a little farther where she can settle a little more,” Pletcher said.

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