Magic Star will attempt a second straight graded stakes win in Feb. 8 turf test.
Grade 1 winner Starship Jubilee will look to continue her exceptional form when the former claiming horse faces a pair of lightly raced Chad Brown-trained runners in the $150,000 Suwannee River Stakes (G3T) Feb. 8 on the Gulfstream Park turf.
Blue Heaven Farm’s Starship Jubilee opened her 7-year-old season with a 3 1/4-length score in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Stakes Jan. 18 on the Gulfstream turf, her third consecutive win in that race and ninth victory in 16 tries on the course. That frontrunning score gave the daughter of Indy Wind three wins in her past four starts, a stretch that included a length victory in the E. P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) on the Woodbine turf.
The E. P. Taylor victory was special for trainer Kevin Attard.
“There have been some great mares who have won it who have gone on to become great broodmares. If you look at the number of Canadian-based trainers who have won it, it’s a very short list. It goes to show you how hard it is for a locally based horse to win that race,” Attard said. “I always had a little concern about her going a mile and a quarter. I think it’s a little bit beyond her best (distance). She had a great ride that day by (Luis) Contreras. It was just a pleasure watching her run down the long E. P. Taylor course we have at Woodbine and see her hold on and win the race.”
Starship Jubilee is a Sovereign Award finalist in the female turf category, and Attard is a finalist for Canada’s top trainer.
Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile turf test for older fillies and mares has attracted seven entries, including Don Alberto Stable’s Magic Star and William Lawrence and Bradley Thoroughbreds’ Tapit Today, both trained by Chad Brown.
Like Starship Jubilee, Magic Star opened her season with a victory on the Gulfstream turf. The 4-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy rallied from sixth to earn a half-length score in the Jan. 11 Marshua’s River Stakes (G3T). That effort marked the stakes debut for Magic Star, who earned a career-best Equibase Speed Figure of 105 in the 1 1/16-mile test.
Tapit Today, a 5-year-old daughter of Tapit , will make her season and graded stakes debut after rolling to a 3 1/2-length victory in an allowance-level turf race Dec. 28 at Tampa Bay Downs. That was the first start for Tapit Today since she finished second in the Riskaverse Stakes in August on the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course.
ENTRIES: SUWANNEE RIVER S. (G3T)
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, February 08, 2020, Race 11
- Grade IIIT
- 1 1/8m
- Turf
- $150,000
- 4 yo’s & up Fillies and Mares
- 5:04 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Kelsey’s Cross (FL) | Romero Ramsay Maragh | 118 | Patrick L. Biancone | 15/1 |
| 2 | 2Smart Shot (KY) | Chris Landeros | 118 | George R. Arnold, II | 10/1 |
| 3 | 3Magic Star (KY) | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 124 | Chad C. Brown | 5/2 |
| 4 | 4Vow to Recover (FL) | Edgard J. Zayas | 122 | Elizabeth L. Dobles | 8/1 |
| 5 | 5Great Sister Diane (KY) | Miguel Angel Vasquez | 122 | Rohan Crichton | 15/1 |
| 6 | 6Starship Jubilee (FL) | Luis Saez | 124 | Kevin Attard | 7/5 |
| 7 | 7Tapit Today (KY) | Javier Castellano | 118 | Chad C. Brown | 7/2 |
