Sunday Sonnet gets class relief in Friday allowance
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Kelly Breen really would like for Sunday Sonnet to take her game to the next level. Precocious at 2, Sunday Sonnet has raced exclusively in stakes since winning a Saratoga maiden race by 7 1/2 lengths, but a second victory has eluded her.
Now comes her first shot at an allowance race, and Breen is hopeful the class relief will get her back to the winner’s circle. Sunday Sonnet is one of the top contenders in the first of two allowance races Friday at Gulfstream Park on the eve of another huge Saturday card that features the Grade 1 Donn Handicap.
“I do believe she’s a stakes-caliber filly,” said Breen. “We’re trying to use this as a steppingstone back into the stakes ranks.”
Sunday Sonnet will have Breen’s go-to rider, Paco Lopez, aboard when breaking from post 13 in the ninth race, a $48,000, first-level allowance scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on turf. Top to bottom, it’s a very well-matched race with 16 3-year-old fillies on the program. Only as many as 14 can start.
The second Friday allowance directly follows as race 10. It’s for older fillies and mares at a mile on the main track and also carries a $48,000 purse and first-level condition. Girlaboutown and Another Incident look like the ones to beat in a field of nine.
Key contenders
Sunday Sonnet (Last 3 Beyers: 69-45-74)
* Front-end efforts in the P.G. Johnson and the recent Ginger Brew were just fine, except for how she tended to get a little late down the lane. Perhaps the class drop will provide the remedy.
Makin’ Sense (Last 3 Beyers: 72-64-40)
* Was an easy winner over decidedly lesser on the lone night card of the Churchill Downs fall meet and now gets Joel Rosario with her first move over to turf, which poses an obvious question after three starts on dirt.
Nicky’s Brown Miss (Last 3 Beyers: 74-69-73)
* For a brief instant two weeks ago in the Sweetest Chant, she looked like she might win, but her stretch run fizzled. Seems like a good idea for the trainer of a one-horse stable finally to give her a shot in the allowance ranks.
Emmajestic (Last 3 Beyers: 65-59-58)
* Is a nose shy of being ineligible for this condition, having incurred a wicked beat on the first Stars of Tomorrow card of the Churchill fall meet. Four Palm Meadows works since getting a little time off suggest that she’s primed for a return.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Emmajestic. Trainer Dale Romans is 129-8-12-22 with a $0.54 ROI over the past two years in turf routes following a layoff of 45 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Whispering Angel (Last 2 Beyers: 43-74)
* Trying the slop in a Jan. 11 off-the-turf route obviously resulted in a failed experiment, but now that she returns to the grass, she’s liable to contend again for the powerhouse team of Javier Castellano and Todd Pletcher.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Get Down Kitten. Trainer Mike Maker is 45-7-12-4 with a $0.64 ROI over the past five years in the second career start after a victory in the career debut. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Little Rooster. Trainer Wayne Catalano is 22-6-2-1 with a $2.68 ROI over the past two years in turf routes following a trainer switch. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 8 Maddizaskar. Trainer George Weaver is 10-1-1-0 with a $0.28 ROI over the past five years on turf in the second career start after a victory in a career debut. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 11 Ice Festival. Trainer Brian Lynch is 20-1-2-3 with a $0.45 ROI over the past five years in turf routes following a maiden victory. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan