Unbeaten filly April Rose goes for third straight in turf sprint

April Rose will try to stay undefeated when she runs in a first-level allowance race that serves as the featured race at Gulfstream Park West on Sunday. A homebred 3-year-old filly, April Rose has started twice and will be giving away a lot of experience to her seven opponents. The five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares goes as race 3 on a 10-race card that begins at 12:35 p.m. Eastern. Trained by Eddie Plesa Jr., April Rose showed a lot of promise when she won her debut by 7 1/2 lengths with Paco Lopez aboard at Monmouth Park on Aug. 21. The five-furlong dash was taken off the turf, and she didn’t have any trouble handling the fast main track, as she broke on top and never looked back while winning in hand.

She showed an affinity for grass when she made her second start a winning one at Saratoga. Despite getting bumped at the start, April Rose pressed Autumn Squall through honest fractions in the 5 1/2-furlong, $50,000 starter race. She eventually wore down Autumn Squall to win by a head.

In her second win, she was ridden by Luis Saez. April Rose drew post 2 for Sunday and once again will have a different rider, with apprentice Vicente Gudiel picking up the mount.

Don’t Blame Me doesn’t have a win on grass, but in her first try on turf, she finished third in the one-mile, Grade 3 Jimmy Durante at Del Mar last November. In her next start, she forced the pace before fading to last in the Grade 1 Starlet at Los Alamitos, won by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Take Charge Brandi.

Trained by Kristin Mulhall, Don’t Blame Me didn’t race again until she was the runner-up in her latest start in a one-mile, first-level allowance race on turf at Gulfstream Park on Aug. 30.

Race 3

KEY CONTENDERS

April Rose (Last 2 Beyers: 61-81)

◗ She is perfect so far, and the 81 Beyer Speed Figure she received in her win at Saratoga is easily the best last-race figure in the field. It also eclipses the 78 par for this condition at Gulfstream Park West.

Don’t Blame Me (Last 3 Beyers: 71-47-67)

◗ She probably wants more distance, but that was a solid effort at this level in her first start this year, and she could be dangerous from a stalking position with Eddie Castro retaining the mount.

Smoke Signals (Last 3 Beyers: 71-59-59)

◗ Trained by Christophe Clement, she was coming off a lengthy layoff when she romped in a maiden special weight race on turf at Laurel on Oct. 9 and could take a big step forward with a race behind her.