Winning touch rediscovered, Andina Del Sur rolls into Marshua's River Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Andina Del Sur went more than 18 months between victories, but that’s enough of that. The Don Alberto homebred is familiar with winning again, and that might be bad news for the opposition when she makes her 5-year-old debut Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Andina Del Sur, with Javier Castellano to ride, figures prominently in the $150,000 Marshua’s River, the richer of twin Grade 3 turf stakes that anchor an 11-race card at Gulfstream Park. She’s one of seven fillies and mares in the 1 1/16-mile Marshua’s River, which goes as race 8 on a program that starts at noon Eastern and also features the $100,000 Tropical Turf (race 10), for older male horses at a mile.

Trained by Tom Albertrani, Andina Del Sur has won two of her last three starts after enduring 12 straight defeats, a streak dating to her prevailing in a three-horse photo in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs in March 2018.

“Maybe there’s a little bit to say about her getting better with age,” Albertrani said.

Andina Del Sur actually was a bit precocious, winning two of her first four starts, including the Florida Oaks. But her career stalled when she was asked to face the likes of Monomoy Girl and Rushing Fall amid a steady diet of high-end stakes, and it wasn’t until she eked out a nose victory in the Violet Stakes last September that the chestnut daughter of Giant’s Causeway found her way back to the winner’s circle.

Following a third-place finish in the Athenia at Belmont Park in October, Andina Del Sur and Castellano emerged victorious again in the Forever Together over the Aqueduct turf in her latest start Nov. 29.

“She always showed a lot of promise, even early on before she ran her first start, so we always had good expectations of her,” Albertrani said. “She’s been a good racemare. She always puts herself in a good place in all of her starts and she’s just a nice horse to have in the barn. Those are the kind you like to have around.”

Off those sharp recent tries, Andina Del Sur could be a slight favorite in the 18th Marshua’s River when she breaks from post 5.

Andina Del Sur may have Sweet Bye and Bye and Magic Star as her main rivals.

Sweet Bye and Bye (post 4, Luis Saez to ride) finished ahead of Andina Del Sur when second in the Athenia but behind her when third as the favorite in the Forever Together. Bred and owned by retired trainer Joe Imbesi, the gray Pennsylvania-bred mare has won 6 of 13 starts and is trained by Steve Klesaris.

Magic Star (post 3, Irad Ortiz Jr.), also owned by Don Alberto, has raced just twice and is still eligible for first-level allowance conditions, but she’s trained by Chad Brown, whose horses invariably command respect regardless of record.

The 42nd Tropical Turf, which drew a field of 10, showcases the return of A Thread of Blue (post 8, Saez), who literally was unbeatable here last winter, going 3 for 3. Owned by Leonard Green and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, the speedy 4-year-old colt will make his first start since finishing a stubborn second in the Oct. 5 Hill Prince at Belmont.

“I think he’s better a little bit farther than a mile, but it’s a mile and he loves it down here, so it looks like a spot to get going,” McLaughlin said.

In quick order, A Thread of Blue won an allowance, the Dania Beach, and the Palm Beach here last winter, exploiting a superior turn of foot that later helped him upset the $1 million Saratoga Derby at 13-1. With such a record, the Hard Spun colt can be expected to be heavily favored in the Tropical Turf.

A Thread of Blue shows five workouts at the Palm Meadows training center since coming down to Florida from New York.

“He’s been working right along and doing great,” McLaughlin said.

There’s an ample amount of speed entered against A Thread of Blue in the Tropical Turf, including Gidu and Gemonteer, so Saez will need to get his mount into a calm early rhythm to prevent spoiling the colt’s local record. Potential late threats include Exulting (post 9, Ortiz), from the ever-dangerous Mike Maker barn, and Maraud (post 2, Paco Lopez), the only other graded winner in the lineup.

Both stakes are part of the 20-cent Rainbow 6, which spans races 6-11. Into Thursday, the carryover jackpot exceeded $1.86 million, so a pool guarantee of $2.5 million would not be unexpected for Saturday. The track has not announced when its next forceout might take place.

The next Gulfstream stakes are the four Sunshine Millions events next Saturday, Jan. 18. The Pegasus World Cup is set for Jan. 25.