Princess Rooney gives Laura's Light another shot to see if dirt could be her future
A pair of California invaders, Grade 1 winner Ce Ce and the versatile Laura’s Light top a field of eight older fillies and mares entered Wednesday for Saturday’s $350,000 Princess Rooney Invitational at Gulfstream Park. The Grade 2 Princess Rooney, a Win and You're In for the Breeders' Cup Fillyand Mare Sprint, highlights the Summit of Speed program that also includes the Grade 3, $200,000 Smile Sprint.
While Ce Ce figures to go postward the solid favorite in the seven-furlong Princess Rooney, Laura’s Light should draw plenty of attention despite the fact she’ll be making her first start over a fast main track, assuming Mother Nature co-operates. A 4-year-old daughter of Constitution, Laura’s Light is a three-time graded stakes winner on grass while having registered victories at distances ranging from 5 1/2 furlongs in the Grade 3 Sweet Life to 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 3 Honeymoon during the opening half of her 3-year-old campaign. Her most important win came later that summer, going one mile, in the Grade 2 San Clemente at Del Mar.
Trained by Peter Miller for owner Gary Barber, Laura’s Light will bring a two-race win streak into the Princess Rooney that includes a 4 3/4-length triumph in the Ouija Board Stakes last month at Lone Star, a race taken off the turf and decided over a sloppy track.
“The Princess Rooney really wasn’t in our plans until she ran so well over the main track in the off-the-turf race in Dallas,” Miller said, referring to the Ouija Board. “After that race, Mr. Barber said why not take a look at this one. And so here we are. She’s always worked well on dirt, but was doing so well running on turf, we figured 'If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, which is why we’d never really tried her on dirt before.”
Miller has secured the services of Florent Geroux, who rode Laura’s Light to victory in the Ouija Board, for the Princess Rooney.
“Having Florent is a big plus, especially since he got to know her last time,” said Miller. “I’m really excited and looking forward to running her there.”
Ce Ce (Victor Espinoza) is the lone Grade 1 winner in the Princess Rooney lineup, having captured the Beholder Mile and Apple Blossom in 2020. Estilo Talentoso (Javier Castellano) and Pacific Gale (Romero Maragh) are the only others who have shipped in for the marquee race on the spring-summer stakes schedule. Estilo Talentoso won the Grade 3 Bed o' Roses over a sloppy track at Belmont Park in her last start. Pacific Gale finished fourth in the Bed o' Roses after capturing both the Grade 2 Inside Information and Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie during the 2021 Gulfstream Park Championship meet.
The remainder of the Princess Rooney lineup includes Hallwallah (Hector Berrios), Heiressall (Miguel Vasquez), Sound Machine (Edgard Zayas), and Thissmytime (Emisael Jaramillo).
Although Miller nominated Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up C Z Rocket for the six-furlong Smile, he did not accompany his stablemate Laura’s Light east for the race. The Smile, in fact, will be an all-local affair with Diamond Oops, sixth in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, the likely favorite, with Geroux in the saddle, for trainer Patrick Biancone.
Trainer Kathy Ritvo entered a trio for the Smile -- Double Crown, Frosted Grace, and Ournationonparade. Chance It, Shivaree, and Willy Boi complete the lineup.