Sweetontheladies gets second chance on turf in Crystal River
Sweetontheladies showed plenty of promise at age 2, winning three of four starts, including a restricted stakes. And although Sweetontheladies’s only setback last year came on grass, trainer Henry Collazo is looking forward to getting his promising youngster back on turf in Sunday’s $50,000 Crystal River Handicap, an overnight stakes at Gulfstream Park that lured a field of eight to go five furlongs.
Sweetontheladies finished fifth after contesting the early pace going a mile in the Armed Forces Stakes in his turf debut last fall. He bounced back to win the Juvenile Sprint for Florida-breds over the main track at Gulfstream Park West with a furious rally from nearly a dozen lengths off the pace. Collazo is looking for a similar effort on Sunday.
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“I laid back on him and gave him most of the winter off because he had some growing pains, and I didn’t have much desire to run him against all the heavy heads here this winter,” said Collazo. “I thought his one start on turf in the Armed Forces wasn’t necessarily a true barometer of how he handles the grass since he was young and still a little confused at the time. He seems a lot more mature now, and he’s got some breeding for the surface.
“This is the perfect opportunity, in my mind, to give him a second chance on turf. He showed good speed working on the dirt last weekend, and I expect to see him come rolling over the top of them at the end.”
With speedsters such as Starship Wildcat, Brandy’s Girl, French Quarter, and Brilliant Interest, there certainly is plenty of pace to set up the race for a closer.
Starship Wildcat has never been better, having won three of his last four tries, all turf sprints, withstanding a race-long pace duel to defeat mid-level starter-allowance competition in game fashion May 11.
Crystal River, Race 9
Key Contenders
Sweetontheladies, by Twirling Candy
Last 3 Beyers: 72-86-50
◗ He’s the only 3-year-old in the field and will be facing older horses for the first time.
Brandy’s Girl, by Posse
Last 3 Beyers: 88-91-86
◗ She’s the only filly in the lineup and will be facing males for the second straight start. Lured Tyler Gaffalione, who leads the nation in wins this year, off a couple of rivals, Escapist and Extravagant Kid, whom he had guided to victory in their previous starts.
Escapist, by Stroll
Last 3 Beyers: 69-83-67
◗ Won his last two starts, including an open $16,000 claiming dash. He was haltered by his current trainer, Murat Sancal, for $12,500 off a come-from-behind victory over a sloppy main track five weeks ago. Sancal won the Opening Lead Handicap on the main track a week ago with Easy to Say, another horse he recently claimed.