Vequist on collision course with archrival in Davona Dale at Gulfstream Park

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – When trainer Robert “Butch” Reid Jr. mapped out the schedule for his Eclipse Award-winning filly Vequist to open her 3-year-old campaign, he wasn’t looking for a rematch with chief nemesis Dayoutoftheoffice right off the bat. But at the moment, that appears likely to be the case with the top two finishers from the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies presently on course to kick off the 2021 season here on Feb. 27 in the Grade 2 Davona Dale.

“Obviously that filly is really tough. She got us in the Frizette and we were able to turn the tables in the Breeders’ Cup, and I really wasn’t looking forward to running into something that difficult so early on,” said Reid. “For $200,000, Gulfstream Park could be getting a replay of the Breeders’ Cup, which is great for the fans but not what we really had in mind. But our path is set, so there’s not much we can do about it if things happen to turn out that way.”

Vequist was a runaway winner in the voting for champion 2-year-old filly of 2020 on the strength of her one-sided victory in the Grade 1 Spinaway and two-length decision over Dayoutoftheoffice in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. In the Breeders’ Cup she avenged her setback four weeks earlier, by a similar margin, to Dayoutoftheoffice in the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont Park.

“A lot of people were filling me in on the history of the voting in that category, so we felt pretty good we were going to get [the Eclipse Award],” said Reid. “But after a 35-year career, you’re never quite sure something like that is going to happen until it actually does. It really meant a whole lot to me and my family, including my wife Ginny, who put so much into this, as well as my daughter Whitney, who we’ve carted all over the place for most of the last 30 years.”

Vequist has had four works since arriving at Palm Meadows earlier this winter, including five furlongs in 1:00.80 last Saturday.

“She’s doing great,” said Reid. “She had a real nice breeze with a strong gallop-out last week. Although her form shows only three works, she’s actually had four. We couldn’t actually time her work two weeks ago because it came in the fog, but my rider said it was every bit as good as the one this past Saturday. The plan we’ve set out is to give her two races before the Kentucky Oaks. We won’t decide on where the second start might be until we see how she handles the track at Gulfstream Park in the first one.”

:: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program.

Reid said he will not work Vequist again until Feb. 13, when she’ll have her most serious drill prior to the 1 1/16-mile Davona Dale.

“We built an extra week into her schedule just in case, so we’ll still be able to get another strong five-eighths into her two weeks before the race,” said Reid, who brought a half-dozen horses to south Florida this winter, including Monday Morning Qb, runner-up in the Grade 3 Discovery, in his last start.

Reid also announced Wednesday that Irad Ortiz Jr. will be aboard Vequist in the Davona Dale, replacing Joel Rosario, who guided her to victory in the Juvenile Fillies.

“Joel is riding in Saudi Arabia the week before, and apparently he would not be able to clear the COVID-19 quarantine protocols at Gulfstream Park in time for the race,” Reid explained when asked about the rider switch.

Trainer Tim Hamm said Wednesday that the Davona Dale is still the likely goal for Dayoutoftheoffice’s 3-year-old bow, although he did mention Oaklawn Park’s Grade 3 Honeybee on March 6 as a second alternative.