Royal Majesty makes stakes premiere in Colonel Liam

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The regally bred Royal Majesty made a favorable impression when getting up late to win his North American debut in a field of 11 six weeks ago at Gulfstream Park. If he continues to improve as his pedigree suggests, Royal Majesty should be a major player in the 3-year-old male turf division this year.

Saturday, Royal Majesty makes his stakes debut in the $200,000 Colonel Liam Stakes, which goes as race 3 and is the first of nine black-type events to be run on Saturday’s 14-race card concluding with the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.

The one-mile distance of the Colonel Liam may be the only question mark for Royal Majesty, a son of the undefeated European champion Frankel out of the U.S. Grade 1-winning mare Crown Queen. The mare is a sibling to Grade 1 winners Royal Delta and Delta Prince. Those two, like Royal Majesty, were trained by Bill Mott.

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“I’d have to believe he’s going to be a little better when he goes a little farther,” Mott said.

Mott said he liked what he saw from Royal Majesty’s maiden win, which came while he hung on his left lead in the lane.

“It was certainly impressive enough,” Mott said. “Didn’t know quite what to expect. I thought he showed up. It was a very good race.”

Royal Majesty breaks from post 7 under Junior Alvarado.

Tocayo is making his fourth start of the Gulfstream winter meet. He won the Dania Beach going a mile before finishing third, beaten two lengths, in the Kitten’s Joy. His speed and grit make him a factor here.

“I thought he ran great. It was a more legitimate pace and he hung right in there until the end, beaten less than two lengths,” said trainer Steve Klesaris. “Hopefully, he doesn’t have to have the lead and we’ll see what happens. He continues to train forwardly; he’s coming into the race very sharp.”

Abrumar and Cugino finished first and second in a first-level allowance here Jan. 13. Abrumar has gone 2 for 2 with two different running styles for Saffie Joseph Jr. Cugino had to alter course in the stretch of his last start, first against winners.

“I thought he ran fine. He needs a little farther, that’s the only thing bothers me here is going a mile, but maybe it’ll set up,” said Shug McGaughey, trainer of Cugino.

Freedom Principle, a stakes winner over Gulfstream’s synthetic, Rapture Bay, Okiro, Silent Heart, and Triple Espresso, complete the field.

Herecomesthebride Stakes

Ozara will go for her third consecutive stakes win of the winter meet when she heads an 11-horse field entered in the Grade 3, $200,000 Herecomesthebride for 3-year-old fillies going a mile.

Christophe Clement, who trains Ozara for Cheyenne Stables, said he doesn’t often run a horse that frequently during the winter, but believes Ozara is just a good fit at Gulfstream, where she won the Wait a While in December and Ginger Brew in January.

“She loves Gulfstream,” Clement said. “She’s got that high cruising speed, which gives you a choice to get a good stalking position, which is so important at Gulfstream. And, she loves firm ground.”

Ozara breaks from post 3 under Tyler Gaffalione.

In the Ginger Brew, Ozara beat Life’s an Audible, who came back to win the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant here Feb. 3. Life’s an Audible, trained by Todd Pletcher, will need a pace to be her most effective.

“I think the first time we ran her here they went a little slow on the front end and obviously that takes her kick away a little bit,” said Tristan Barry, assistant to Pletcher. “There appears to be plenty of pace in there. I think she’ll run the same race and kick home. You’ll have a little less time to get there but a little more pace in front of you to run down.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Life’s an Audible from post 7.

Part of that pace figures to be supplied by Pounce, who overcame post 11 to win a first-level allowance race here going seven furlongs. Pounce has post 11 again Saturday.

Mark Casse, who trains Pounce, also has Dancing N Dixie and Time to Dazzle in this field.

Mystic Lake just won the Gasparilla Stakes on dirt at Tampa in her 3-year-old debut. Crown Imperial won the Untapable Stakes sprinting at Kentucky Downs last September and was third in the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland.

Macagna, Show Off, Irish Maxima, and Agra complete the field.

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