Rymska tough in Suwannee River – if she goes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Chad Brown said he’d likely wait until Friday morning, at the earliest, before deciding where to run his three-time Grade 3 winner Rymska on Saturday. She could compete either at Gulfstream Park in the Grade 3, $150,000 Suwannee River, or at Tampa Bay Downs in the Grade 3, $175,000 Endeavour. The 5-year-old French-bred mare would be a strong contender in either spot, so where she ultimately lands will affect the complexion of both races.

The Suwannee River will highlight Saturday’s 12-race program at Gulfstream Park, which also includes the $100,000 El Prado Stakes along with a mandatory disbursal of a Rainbow 6 jackpot that could reach as high as $10 million if it’s not solved on Thursday or Friday.

Brown said there are several factors that will weigh into his final decision as to where Rymska will compete on Saturday, including the distance of both events. The Suwannee River is carded at 1 1/8 miles, the Endeavour at 1 1/16 miles. Rymska has won three of four starts at 1 1/16 miles and her only try at nine furlongs.

Rymska, who has not raced locally since capturing the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant two years ago, won the Grade 3 Athenia at Belmont in October, the second of three 2018 starts. She concluded the abbreviated campaign finishing sixth, beaten three lengths, in the one-mile Matriarch, a Grade 1 stakes at Del Mar on Dec. 2.

“The race at Del Mar didn’t set up or really work out for her,” said Brown. “The distance was really too short and she didn’t kick like herself at the end. So we freshened her up. She’s been working well, and it’s time to get her started again.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., Rymska’s regular rider over her last four starts, will be aboard if she runs in the Suwannee River, while his brother Jose has the call at Tampa.

Rymska is one of two horses entered in both the Suwannee River and Endeavour, along with Conquest Hardcandy. Conquest Hardcandy is coming off a second in the South Beach Stakes, beaten a half-length over yielding turf. Conquest Hardcandy is trained by Antonio Sano, who sent the New York-bred out to finish second in a pair of stakes here last winter.

Trainer Shug McGaughey sends Special Event in the Suwannee River. Special Event rallied from well back in the pack to finish third in the Grade 3 My Charmer here on Dec. 15. She has finished second or third in three of her last four starts, all graded stakes.

The rest of the field comprises Valedictorian, third in the Grade 3 Marshua’s River in her 2019 debut; the stakes-winning American Frolic, who’ll take on older horses for the first time; and Vagabond Princess, Peach of a Gal, and Avie’s Mineshaft.

El Prado: Mr Cub has the class

They say you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep. The same holds true for horses. That being said, it’s hard to look past Mr Cub as the horse to beat in Saturday’s El Prado Stakes for 4-year-olds and up at 7 1/2 furlongs on turf.

Mr Cub closed out his 2018 campaign Dec. 22 with a second in an allowance race, beaten a half-length by Bricks and Mortar and finishing nearly four lengths in front of third-place Krampus. Bricks and Mortar flattered the effort and then some when he returned to win the inaugural Pegasus World Cup Turf five weeks later.

Mr Cub earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure for his latest effort, his best in 17 lifetime starts. He will be seeking his first victory since winning the Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 3.

“He’s getting better with age,” trainer Ian Wilkes said. “I think he’s improving and I don’t think you’ve seen the best of him. He proved himself in his last start against Bricks and Mortar, who is obviously a pretty nice horse. Actually, for a moment I thought we were going to hold that horse off.”

Mr Cub is one of 13 horses entered in the 7 1/2-furlong El Prado, three of whom – Vici, Hembree, and Swagger Jagger – hail from the barn of trainer Mike Maker.

Hembree is the most accomplished of the Maker trio, having earned more than $316,000 in 2018 – not bad for a horse claimed for $50,0000 in mid-April. Hembree’s most important win came going six furlongs in the Grade 2 Nearctic during the fall at Woodbine. He will stretch out around two turns for the first time since a fourth-place finish under allowance conditions last summer at Saratoga.

Swagger Jagger won the Tampa Turf Classic for Florida-breds last March for his only victory in 2018, while Vici, whose best efforts have come sprinting, finished a tiring fifth stretching to a mile here last month in the Grade 3 Tropical Turf.

Also in the El Prado are the stakes-winning Renaisance Frolic, making his first start against older horses; the speedy Abiding Star, coming off a $35,000 claiming win going a mile on Jan. 17; Uncle B, who brings a modest two-race win streak into the race, including an upset victory in the Claiming Crown Emerald; and Krampus, Golden Dragon, Holiday Stone, Siding Spring, Siem Riep, and Cowboy Culture.