Tequilita the big dog in Gulfstream Park Oaks

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Tequilita was a 14-1 upset winner of the Grade 2 Forward Gal at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 4. She figures to be a much shorter price when she heads the field for Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks with a berth in the Kentucky Oaks on the line.

Tequilita is the only stakes winner among nine 3-year-old fillies entered in the Gulfstream Oaks, which offers 170 qualifying points (100-40-20-10) to the top four finishers toward the May 5 Kentucky Oaks. Points could become important because the Kentucky Oaks now appears to be wide open with the defection of division leader Unique Bella due to injury.

Tequilita brings a three-race winning streak into the Gulfstream Oaks. In her 3-year-old debut on Feb. 4, she rallied to win the Forward Gal by a half-length over Pretty City Dancer, a Grade 1 winner. Trainer Michael Matz decided to skip the Davona Dale on March 4, believing three races here this winter might be too much if she proved worthy of running in the Kentucky Oaks.

“I thought if she did those three and we were able to get to the Oaks, that was a lot to ask of the horse,” said Matz, who trains Tequilita for his wife, Dorothy.

The farthest Tequilita has run is a mile, something she did in a maiden race last September at Laurel Park, where she broke from the rail and got involved in a speed duel. The horse who beat her, Dancing Rags, came back to win the Grade 1 Ashland in her next start.

Matz trained both Tequilita’s sire, the Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags, and mother, the Grade 2 winner Sangrita.

“Her mother could get a mile, and her father could do everything,” Matz said. “The whole key is if she relaxes, and her last couple of works, she’s been relaxing behind horses, and she’s done it well.”

Luis Saez rides Tequilita from post 2.

Though nine were entered, not all are expected to run. Trainer Mark Casse entered both Salty and Summer Luck but said Thursday that he expects to scratch Summer Luck and run her in the Ashland at Keeneland on April 8. Trainer Todd Pletcher said Nonna Bella could go instead in the Grade 3 Beaumont at Keeneland on April 9.

KEY CONTENDERS

Tequilita, by Union Rags

Last 3 Beyers: 79-72-79

◗ Her three consecutive victories all came in sprints.

◗ Shows a solid work tab for this race, including a best-of-95 half-mile move in 47.40 seconds on March 25 at Palm Meadows.

Salty, by Quality Road

Beyers: 91-82

◗ Gary Barber purchased a majority interest in her following a narrow loss in her debut and transferred her to Casse.

◗ Came with a wide run under Joel Rosario and ran a strong final eighth to win a seven-furlong maiden race by 2 1/2 lengths on March 5.

“She had trained really well into that race,” Casse said. “When she fell out of the picture, I was like, ‘Okay, what is going on here?’ I was a little nervous, but then she exploded. I think Joel was riding her with a lot of confidence. I think she’s a big, two-turn-looking filly.”

Jordan’s Henny, by Henny Hughes

Last 3 Beyers: 79-71-63

◗ In two starts at Gulfstream, she has a maiden win and a runner-up finish to Miss Sky Warrior in the Grade 2 Davona Dale.

“After the winner passed her, she was gaining and coming back on that filly,” trainer Michael Tomlinson said. “She has some grit and try to her.”

◗ She has run creditably in three tries around two turns.