Roaring Forties not under the radar in this year's Sunshine Turf

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Roaring Forties, whose only previous start against Florida-breds resulted in a wire-to-wire victory here a year ago in the $75,000 Sunshine Turf, will return to Gulfstream Park on Sunday to defend his title against six rivals. The 10-race program also will feature the post position draws for both the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf.

Roaring Forties has been based at Woodbine throughout the majority of his career, the last two seasons with his current trainer, Katerina Vassilieva. Roaring Forties entered the 2023 Sunshine Turf flying a little bit under the radar coming out of Canada, was sent postward at odds of 7-1, but went right to the front under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan and made every pole a winning one en route to a half-length victory over Hot Blooded. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Me and Mr. C, who is back to try to avenge that setback.

“I thought he was getting some class relief coming here and finally facing Florida-breds for the first time after racing in tougher open races at Woodbine, and it worked out well,” Vassilieva said. “We turned him out for a little refresher in Ocala after Woodbine closed last fall and he’s coming into this race fresh, training well, and hopefully he can do it again on Sunday.

“Shaun knows him well, so I’ll leave the strategy up to him, although on paper it looks like he can get to the lead and have the opportunity to relax out there on the front end again.”

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Me and Mr. C went on to become a three-time stakes winner last year following his third-place finish in the Sunshine Turf and is coming off a big effort here last month when rallying to finish second, beaten a neck, by the hard-knocking Tapeta specialist Fly the W in an overnight handicap over the synthetic strip. He is one of two horses trainer Mike Maker will send out along with the veteran 12-time winner Max K. O.

Trainer Mike Trombetta also will have a strong hand in the Sunshine Turf with Souper Blessing and Forever Souper, both key contenders. Souper Blessing exits a late-running neck victory in the Tropical Park Derby in his 3-year-old finale and has continued to train extremely well prepping for his 4-year-old bow. Forever Souper comes off a frustrating nose loss to Candidate in a high-priced optional-claiming and allowance race on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs.

Didia works five furlongs

Didia, among the leading candidates for the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf, turned in her final major prep for the event breezing five furlongs over the Tapeta course in 1:00.60 here Friday.

Didia, a two time Group 1 winner in her native Argentina and a multiple graded stakes winner since shipping to the United States during the spring of 2022, galloped out with good energy completing six furlongs in 1:13.40 over the lively surface for trainer Ignacio Correas.

This morning’s local tab also featured the 8-year-old Grade 3 stakes winner Yes I Am Free, who zipped a half-mile in 44.98 seconds on the Tapeta. The work was only the second fastest at the distance behind his Laura Cazares-trained stablemate Panther Island, who completed four furlongs in 44.25 about 20 minutes earlier while working in company while much the best with Fulminate.

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Panther Island has won his last two starts, including the Janus Stakes to cap off his 2023 campaign.

◗ Irish-born jockey David Egan, who is spending a month riding in South Florida during Europe’s off-season, posted his first two local victories within a 24-hour span, winning Thursday’s opener aboard Grey Princess for trainer Jorge Delgado and Friday’s first race when dead-heating for first on Street Rod.

Egan, whose most noteworthy victories include the Saudi Cup, Sheema Classic, St. Leger, and the prestigious Group 1 Irish St. Leger, is doing most of his work locally for Delgado and Amo Racing, for whom he will ride Kingmax in the Pegasus Turf Invitational on Jan. 27.

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