Stormy Embrace gunning for repeat in Musical Romance

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A year ago, Stormy Embrace used a victory in the $100,000 Musical Romance Stakes as a stepping-stone to an even bigger and more impressive win in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney five weeks later. And trainer Kathleen O’Connell is hoping history will repeat itself starting Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where Stormy Embrace will go postward as the solid favorite in the seven-furlong Musical Romance.

Stormy Embrace captured the 2018 Musical Romance despite jockey Wilmer Garcia misjudging the finish line and easing the winner during the last 100 yards of the race. But there were no such issues in the Princess Rooney, as Stormy Embrace ran the race of her life to win off by six widening lengths and earn a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure. That win gave Stormy Embrace a fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs, where she finished 11th in a field of 14.

Stormy Embrace enters the Musical Romance idle since a third-place finish over a sloppy track in the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie here on Jan. 26.

“I scratched her out of one stakes she was supposed to run in after the Hurricane Bertie because she got a little fever and she just needed some recovery time,” said O’Connell. “And with what she’s done for us, she deserves all the time she needs. She always shows up, although sometimes she has been the victim of a trip, like she was in the Breeders’ Cup from a tough post over a bad track. But she’s training great, I couldn’t want her going into this race any better, and we’re definitely using the race as a prep for the Princess Rooney again this year.”

Garcia has the mount again on Saturday.

Stormy Embrace likely will be chasing the red-hot Lady’s Island, who has won three straight. The question for her is the distance, as Lady’s Island has yet to make a start beyond six furlongs.

An honest pace would aid Starship Bonita if the late-running filly does not need a race off the bench. Starship Bonita won the final two legs of the 2017 Florida Sire Stakes series, including the seven-furlong Susan’s Girl, but has not raced since finishing a distant eighth in the Sunshine Millions Distaff Preview at Gulfstream Park West in November, and she hasn’t posted a Beyer higher than a 76 during her 11-race career.

A winner of 21 of 35 career starts while racing almost exclusively in Puerto Rico, Pure Lemon is certainly the most intriguing member of the field. The daughter of Eskendereya joined trainer Victor Barboza Jr.’s barn here last winter and finished a distant second behind 2-5 favorite Tapa Tapa Tapa in her only start this season in the Wayward Lass Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 19. She has worked very forwardly for her local debut.