Trenchtown Cat, Garter and Tie face elders in Princess Rooney and Smile Sprint

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A pair of up-and-coming 3-year-olds, Trenchtown Cat and Garter and Tie, were among the horses drawn Wednesday for the $250,000 main events on Saturday’s Summit of Speed program at Gulfstream Park, the Grade 2 Princess Rooney and Grade 3 Smile Sprint.

Trenchtown Cat, an easy winner over the odds-on Razorback Lady in the Ana T. Stakes when making her main-track debut on May 25, will bypass the opportunity to run against her own kind earlier in the day in the Azalea Stakes to take on fillies and mares in the seven-furlong Princess Rooney. Trenchtown Cat, a stakes winner on both turf and dirt, will break from post 2 in the seven-furlong Princess Rooney under jockey Miguel Vasquez.

Stormy Embrace drew post 6 for the Princess Rooney while seeking to defend the title she won by six lengths here a year ago. She figures to go postward the heavy favorite in a lineup that also includes Razorback Lady (post 1), Royal Asscher (post 3), Saguaro Row (post 4), Reagan’s Rose (post 5), and Weekend Mischief (post 7).

Garter and Tie also will bypass an easier spot against 3-year-olds in the Carry Back to take on his elders following a 10 1/2-length victory in the Ocala Stakes on June 1. Garter and Tie, second to Royal Squeeze in his only previous try against older rivals in the Big Drama, drew post 5 for the six-furlong Smile with regular rider Jeffrey Sanchez aboard.

“I wanted to enter in both races and take a look, but under the new rules here I can only enter in one,” said trainer Ralph Nicks when asked about the decision to put Garter and Tie in the Smile. “When the race came up with only seven starters and one shipper, I thought this was a good opportunity for him. And he can finish second in this race and still earn more money than if he won the Carry Back.”

Jalen Journey, an easy winner of all three starts this season, will likely be favored in the Smile from post 3 under Luis Saez. The remainder of the lineup consists of Proforma (post 1), Diamond Oops (post 2), Cautious Giant (post 4) Royal Squeeze (post 6), and Fast Pass (post 7).