Red Danger, Lia Marina win opening-day stakes
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – If the remainder of the stakes races during the 2021-22 Championship meet are as exciting as the first two, it’s going to be a fun winter at Gulfstream Park.
Odds-on favorite Red Danger held off a stretch-long bid from Speaking Scout to win the $75,000 Pulpit, about two hours after Lia Marina did likewise, fending off a determined challenge from Sister Lou Ann through the final furlong to capture the $75,000 Wait a While, filly counterpart to the Pulpit.
Both races were for 2-year-olds going about a mile on turf.
Red Danger, a versatile son of Orb, rallied from mid-pack to win his second stakes in the Pulpit. With Julien Leparoux aboard, Red Danger rallied four wide into the stretch, continued gamely between horses despite his rider losing his stick near midstretch, and prevailed by a head over Speaking Scout. Speaking Scout, who broke from the outside post in a field of 11, came widest into the stretch, and continued to battle the winner despite not switching off his left lead. Biz Biz Buzz set the pace to midstretch before succumbing grudgingly to finish third, 1 1/2 lengths behind Speaking Scout.
Red Danger is trained by Bryan Lynch for Silverton Hill LLC. He paid $3.80.
“Julien said he dropped his whip there, so he had no endorser, but you got to love a little horse who tries as hard as he does,” said Lynch. “He brings it every time you lead him over there. They went fast early, he boxed on hard, and stuck his head down when he needed to. I’m very proud of him.”
Lynch said he has no race picked out yet for Red Danger’s 3-year-old debut.
“He’s a horse you wouldn’t rule out on the dirt or even the Tapeta the way he takes to all surfaces,” Lynch said. “It’s a pipe dream for us if he’s as good as some of the others who are starting to show up now. He’s a model of consistency, but that’s a question that still has to be answered.”
There was no official time for the race due to a timer malfunction, according to Equibase.
Lia Marina, who won her maiden going six furlongs in her previous start at Belmont Park, successfully carried her speed around two turns when prevailing by a half-length in the Wait a While. Gun Boat, another six-furlong New York maiden winner prior to shipping to South Florida, finished three-quarters of a length farther back in third after showing the way into the stretch.
Lia Marina is a 2-year-old homebred daughter of Uncle Mo trained by Christophe Clement for Moyglare Stud Farm. Like in the Pulpit, there was no official final time for the Wait a While due to a timer malfunction.
Lia Marina was ridden to victory by Tyler Gaffalione and returned $7.60. Sunstrike, the tepid 5-2 favorite in a field of nine 3-year-old fillies, finished sixth after losing her best chance after breaking behind the others.