Sharp Susan's talent exceeds her luck

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Sharp Susan has had more than her share of bad luck since trainer Bill Mott switched her to the turf during the fall of her 2-year-old campaign. She has also had enough success to perhaps prove the one to beat in an evenly matched field of eight 3-year-old fillies entered for Sunday's Grade 3, $150,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Sharp Susan, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Sharp Lisa, sandwiched a pair of come-from-behind turf victories around a near disastrous outing in Belmont Park's Miss Grillo Stakes. She was virtually uncontrollable that day after jockey Mike Smith's right rein broke shortly after leaving the starting gate. Sharp Susan ran off to an early 15-length lead over a yielding course then stopped abruptly, finishing 10th.

Mott gave Sharp Susan nearly four months off to recuperate from the incident and she responded with a 1o1/4-length victory going a mile on the grass in a first-level allowance here Feb. 18. She had to steady on a couple of occasions through the early stages of the race and then split horses, eventually wearing down Christies Treasure in late stretch.

Sharp Susan will again be ridden by jockey Cornelio Velasquez.

Snow Cone is the only stakes winner in the lineup but has not started since finishing fourth in the Tropical Park Oaks on New Year's Day. In that race, she was blocked while seemingly full of run near the quarter pole. In her previous outing, Snow Cone rallied to capture the restricted Georgia Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association Debutante Stakes at Calder.

Perfect Motion finished ahead of Snow Cone as the runner-up in the Tropical Oaks, a race won by Christmas Kid, who has since gone on to win a pair of Grade 2 races over the main track here. Perfect Motion has finished second while beaten less than a length in each of her last three starts, including a first-level allowance race here on March 11 when her chances were compromised by getting roughed leaving the starting gate.

Trainer Todd Pletcher nominated five 3-year-old fillies to the Herecomesthebride but will run only My Golden Quest. My Golden Quest, who will be making her turf debut, is coming off a sixth-place finish in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs after winning an allowance race over the main track here on opening day.