Powder Break features first five finishers from Monroe Stakes

If the field for Saturday’s $100,000 Powder Break Stakes at Gulfstream Park looks familiar, well, it should. The 1 1/16-mile turf test for older fillies and mares brings back the first five finishers from the one-mile Monroe Stakes, decided over the same course just eight weeks earlier.

The field includes Turino and Miss Mary Nell, who finished first and second, respectively, just a neck apart, in their previous encounter.

The Powder Break will be decided as the ninth event on an 11-race program that ushers in a new local schedule, with live racing to be offered on a Saturday-through-Monday basis through Aug. 31. Management also will initiate four new wagers, including the unique Place Pick 8, each with a bettor-friendly 15 percent takeout, along with a mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 pool every Monday throughout that period.

Turino showed a bit of a new dimension in the Monroe after having defeated allowance competition in wire-to-wire fashion in her previous start. She rated off the early leaders before finishing strongly down the center of the course to run down Miss Mary Nell nearing the wire. She then galloped out after the Monroe like a mare who would relish the added ground.

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Miss Mary Nell prompted the pace from the outset in the Monroe, stuck her head in front between calls near midstretch, but could not resist the winner. It was another length back to the winner’s uncoupled mate Little Jamie, who finished best of all from the rear of the field.

Turino and Little Jamie are two of five horses trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. entered in the Powder Break, along with Make the Boys Wink, a close fifth in the Monroe; statebred allowance winner City Minute; and the newly acquired Hello Hello Hello.

Joseph said Thursday he plans to run at least four of his five fillies, with Little Jamie the only question mark.

Joseph said he’s thrilled with the way Turino has performed in her two last starts.

“She ran great in the Monroe. Obviously, it was nice to get a stakes win on her résumé,” Joseph said. “And the way she ran, I think it showed she’s better when she can rate a little because she is a filly who can be a little keen. I feel she is definitely better that way. I don’t think she wants too much farther” than 1 1/16 miles, “but the way she galloped out, I don’t think this distance will be a problem for her.”

City Minute is coming off her two best efforts, stretching out to a mile for both starts following a steady diet of sprint races. Joseph said he wants to give her the opportunity to get some black type while in her present good form.

Joseph also believes Make the Boys Wink deserves another chance off her performance in the Monroe.

“There wasn’t much separation between her and the others in her last start, and it wouldn’t surprise me if she were able to turn things around this time with the right trip,” Joseph added.

Miss Mary Nell has started once since the Monroe, finishing a late-striding fourth in a 5 1/2-furlong overnight handicap contested over the synthetic Tapeta track four weeks ago.

“I put her in a sprint race last time because I didn’t want to give her 45 or 50 days between races,” trainer Carlos David said.

“It was kind of like a breeze, and I feel good about her coming back in this race Saturday facing some of the same fillies she has been facing. I’m looking forward to running her long again.”

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