Recharged Zofelle may come out running following layoff

Zofelle may have been over the top by the time she raced in the Grade 1 Just a Game at Belmont Park last summer, a race in which she finished a well-beaten fifth behind Newspaperofrecord.

Following a lengthy freshening and sporting a solid work tab, Zofelle returns off a seven-month layoff in Saturday’s Grade 3, $125,000 Marshua’s River Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The Marshua’s River, for fillies and mares going a mile on turf, drew a competitive field of 10 that includes My Charmer Stakes one-two finishers Niko’s Dream and Tuned.

Zofelle, a 5-year-old Great Britain-bred daughter of Zoffany, began her North American career with three consecutive victories in the fall of 2019. In 2020, she was a hard-luck second to stablemate La Signare as the favorite in the Sand Springs at Gulfstream before finishing third, beaten only a neck, in the Grade 3 Mint Julep at Churchill Downs. In the Just a Game, Zofelle was beaten 14 1/2 lengths after futilely chasing Newspaperofrecord.

“She’d been on the go well over 12 months since she came to us from England, so we gave her a break and freshened her up and she looks like she’s come back pretty good,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “She’s been working well at Palm Meadows and the mile I think suits her. It seemed like a good place to start.”

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Tyler Gaffalione, who rode Zofelle to victory in a Keeneland allowance in October 2019, has the call on Saturday.

Niko’s Dream was a 13-1 upset winner of the My Charmer stakes at Gulfstream on Dec. 12. However, Tuned, the runner-up from that race, may have had the more difficult trip as she broke last and had to rally five wide under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Tuned, trained by Graham Motion, is cutting back to a mile, the distance of both her wins.

Sweet Bye and Bye and finished fourth as the 2-1 favorite in last year’s Marshua’s River. That race came after a busy fall 2019 campaign.

Following a layoff, Sweet Bye and Bye came back with three strong races for trainer Tony Dutrow. She won a high-level allowance race at Saratoga and then finished a close third behind Viadera and Blowout in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel.

Viadera and Blowout came back to run one-two, noses apart, in the Grade 1 Matriarch at Del Mar. Sweet Bye and Bye finished seventh in the Athenia.

Owner Joe Imbesi sent Sweet Bye and Bye to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., for whom the 6-year-old mare will make her first start on Saturday.

“Initially the plan was to wait till February, but if she came around in time without rushing her we’d give this race a go,” Joseph said. “She’s a proven mare, she’s classy and that’s how she trains.”

Sweet Bye and Bye does have to overcome the outside post in the 10-horse field.

Joseph also runs the New York-bred Lovely La La, who looks in deep.

Evil Lyn and Vigilante’s Way were stakes winners at 3 who are facing older females in graded stakes competition for the first time.

Belle Laura, Our Baby B Ruth, and Great Sister Diane complete the field.