Turf experience an edge for Tall Girl, Miss New York

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Tall Girl and Miss New York, both of whom have already shown an affinity for turf, should hold the upper hand when taking on six other juvenile fillies, the majority of whom have never even raced over the surface, in Friday’s $71,000 allowance feature at Gulfstream Park.

The one-mile race is the last of four events scheduled for turf on a nine-race program that begins at 12:10 p.m.

Tall Girl, a daughter of First Samurai trained by Christophe Clement, will in all likelihood be the public’s choice coming off a 1 1/2-length maiden victory when dropped in under a $75,000 claiming tag five weeks earlier at Aqueduct. Tall Girl had made three previous starts, all on grass, registering a pair of seconds and a third at distances ranging from a mile to 1 1/16 miles.

The fact Clement will turn the reins over to Irad Ortiz Jr. should only serve to heighten the appeal when it comes to assessing Tall Girl’s chances in her local debut.

Miss New York began her career in England, where she posted a pair of third-place finishes going 5 1/2 furlongs and one mile on the grass. She has raced exclusively over the Tapeta surface since shipping locally and joining trainer Jorge Delgado’s stable earlier this fall. Like Tall Girl, she enters this race off a solid maiden victory when 1 1/4 lengths best going 1 1/16 miles on Nov. 26.

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Irony has never competed on grass but figures to handle the footing being a full sister to Scraps, who earned just less than $200,000 on the turf and was a stakes winner over the local strip at 3. Irony was haltered out of a winning effort for $35,000 by trainer Ron Spatz on Oct. 16 and returned just 19 days later with a big effort against starter-allowance company when second-best behind the even-money favorite and stakes-placed Vai Bai.

Among the others who might move forward in their turf debuts are Classic Vinyl, a daughter of Maclean’s Music who is a half-sister to two-time grass winner Altamura, and Dulce Ambicion, a daughter of the prolific turf sire Kitten’s Joy.

Kingscote to ride at meet

Richard Kingscote, who knows a thing or two about winning races on grass, is making plans to spend part of the winter riding locally, according to jockey agent Doug Bredar, who will handle his engagements while he’s in the United States and competing here during the Championship meet.

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Kingscote’s most notable wins this year came aboard the favorite Desert Crown in the Group 1 Epsom Derby and with Bay Bridge in the Group 1 Champion Stakes when handing Baaeed his first setback in 11 career starts.

“It’s a different style of riding, so I think it can’t do me any harm to learn something new and open up a new avenue to my riding,” Kingscote told Nick Luck on his podcast earlier in the week while announcing his intentions to ride here this winter. “I’ve been lucky enough to go to some Breeders’ Cups, and it’s just more doors and trying to push me way through a few.”

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