Wolfson sends out four for Musical Romance
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – You’d expect to find a foursome on the golf course but not too often on the racetrack. Such will be the case, however, Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where trainer Marty Wolfson sends out four of the 11 starters in the $90,000 Musical Romance Stakes. The Musical Romance will be decided at seven furlongs.
Wolfson’s quartet is led by the stakes-placed Kipling’s Joy, who recently returned from a sixth-place finish in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Ballerina. The group also includes the speedy Best Behavior, who was claimed for $65,000 out of a winning effort here Aug. 29, the stakes winner Ol Donyo, and the idled Flores Island. All four will run as separate betting interests, although both Kipling’s Joy and Best Behavior are owned by Miller Racing LLC.
Kipling’s Joy finished second July 5 in the Paseana Stakes behind stablemate Heart Stealer before being overmatched in the Ballerina.
Best Behavior has captured three of her last four starts but was a tiring fifth after contesting the pace in the Paseana.
Ol Donyo won the one-mile Zaftig Stakes for trainer John Terranova last summer at Belmont Park. She has started just once this year since joining Wolfson’s stable, winning a midlevel optional-claiming race going six furlongs here Aug. 7.
Flores Island also is a new addition to the barn, having raced for trainer Bill Mott until being sidelined following her fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Top Flight Handicap when making her stakes debut in March.
Bill Kaplan, who trained Musical Romance to a Breeders’ Cup victory and Eclipse Award in 2011, sends out Quinnkat and Holiday Magic on Saturday. Quinnkat won a pair of races here earlier this year against lesser opposition, while Holiday Magic has been sidelined by an injury and has not started since finishing fifth May 10 in the grassy Honey Ryder.
Salamera, who defeated Kipling’s Joy under allowance conditions earlier this year and was third behind Wolfson’s Heart Stealer in the Paseana, returns from Monmouth, where she finished second July 26 in the Regret Stakes.
Key contenders
Kipling’s Joy (Last 3 Beyers: 68-82-74)
* She has finished worse than third just once in seven starts over the local strip.
* She never has won a race at seven furlongs.
Best Behavior (Last 3 Beyers: 88-83-79)
* Best Behavior has hit the board in 15 of 17 career starts.
“She’s like Starship Truffles. She’s always right there,” said Wolfson, comparing his new acquisition to the former claimer he turned into a Grade 1 winner in 2013.
* Her two works since joining Wolfson’s stable, Sept. 9 and Sept. 15, have been extremely impressive, easy half-miles with a strong gallop-out.
Ol Donyo (Last 3 Beyers: 78-82-83)
* Will be making her first start at seven furlongs but already is a stakes winner at a mile, so the distance should not be an issue.
* She carries the high weight of 121 pounds under the allowance conditions of this race.
Flores Island (Last 3 Beyers: 68-72-78)
* Wolfson is 23 for 77, a 30 percent success rate, over the last three years with horses making their first start after joining his stable.
* She completed the final quarter of her most recent work in 23.13 seconds and should have the best late kick of any of the Wolfson foursome in this race.