Three foreign imports add to intrigue of Gulfstream allowance feature

HALLDANDALE BEACH, Fla. –The field for Friday’s $51,500 allowance feature at Gulfstream Park consists of both the known and the unknown. Several familiar horses come out of a similar first-level allowance turf race earlier in the meet. The unknown are three fillies making their U.S. debuts, including Giants Play, an extremely well-bred filly trained by Christophe Clement.

Giants Play, the English-bred Champagnelifestyle, and German import La Luna de Miel will all make their first starts on this side of the Atlantic in the 1 7/16-mile marathon. Giants Play is a daughter of Giant’s Causeway out of a Sadler’s Wells mare. A Kentucky-bred purchased for $850,000 out of the 2008 Keeneland September sale, Giants Play won once in seven starts at 2 and 3 in England. She joined Clement’s stable in December.

“She’s a nice filly but she is a 4-year-old still eligible for her first allowance condition,” said Clement. “She seems to train like a stayer type and looks like she should be very competitive in this spot.”

Champagnelifestyle won her career debut at 2 in England and was listed stakes-placed at 3 but has not started since finishing far back in the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks in July. She will begin her U.S. career for trainer Patrick Biancone.

Graham Motion will send out the lightly raced La Luna de Miel, who won at first asking last spring in Germany but has made only one subsequent start, finishing off the board in a listed stakes on June 1.

Kathern’s Kitten may be best of the group, exiting the sixth race here on Jan. 20 won by Zapparition. Kathern’s Kitten was making what appeared to be a winning run through midstretch when taken up sharply to finish an unlucky fifth.

Julien Leparoux rode Kathern’s Kitten in her last start but will take the call on Up in Lights on Friday. Up in Lights finished second, two lengths in front of Kathern’s Kitten, when second behind Zapparition after edging nearly a length clear between calls at midstretch.

A lack of any real speed in the field could help Full Moon Party as she appears to be capable of controlling the pace under jockey Alan Garcia. Full Moon Party stretches out beyond 1 1/8 miles for the first time but flashed speed on several occasions at 3, including in her maiden win last summer at Woodbine.