David Bernsen LLC and Jeffrey Lambert's Lenzi's Lucky Lady will take to the turf at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., for Friday's $75,000 Abundantia after really showing her affinity for the surface in her most recent start.
A stakes winner on dirt, the 4-year-old daughter of With Distinction debuted on turf in a Dec. 13 optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Park with a front-running victory at the five-furlong distance of the Abundantia.
“It looks like she found a new home on turf,” trainer Bob Hess said.
Formerly trained by Kathleen O'Connell, Lenzi's Lucky Lady won two stakes during her juvenile season, including the $100,000 Florida Sire Stakes Desert Vixen. She returned from an 11-month layoff to finish second in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance on dirt Aug. 22, when she was claimed by her current connections for $75,000. The Florida-bred filly was forwardly placed before fading to ninth in the Charles Town Oaks (G3) Aug. 28 in her first start for Hess.
“Dave Bernsen is the principle owner and he picked her out. Kathleen is a friend and a top-notch horsewoman, so I really had no illusions of moving the horse up at all,” Hess said. “She ran great the day we claimed her. We had a fiasco up at Charles Town and I brought her to Del Mar trying for the 'Ship & Win.' I worked her on the turf and she worked great, but the race didn't fill and we brought her back to Gulfstream.”
Emisael Jaramillo has the call aboard Lenzi's Lucky Lady.
Three Diamond Farm's Jakarta will seek her third victory over the Gulfstream Park turf in as many starts Friday. The Michael Maker-trained 6-year-old mare is coming off a 2 ¼-length victory in the Claiming Crown Distaff Dash at five furlongs.
The daughter of Bustin Stones has also shown versatility, having won the off-the-turf Powder Break at a mile over a sloppy Gulfstream track last May.
Luis Saez has the return mount aboard Jakarta.
David Melin, Leon Ellman and Laurie Plesa's Miss Auramet, who has also enjoyed success on dirt and turf, is scheduled to seek her fourth straight victory Friday. The Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained 5-year-old mare won back-to-back off-the-turf races at Delaware Park and Laurel Park before returning to South Florida to win an optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Park West Oct. 18.
Paco Lopez has the call aboard the daughter of Uncaptured.
Team Valor International's Victory Kingdom, who finished a close second in Ontario Fashion Stakes (G3) over Woodbine's synthetic surface two starts back, returns to turf for the Abundantia. Group stakes-placed in Europe, the 6-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom has made three starts in the U.S. for trainer Rodolphe Brisset, including a fourth-place finish in the Smart N Fancy stakes on turf at Saratoga last August.
Julien Leparoux is scheduled to ride Victory Kingdom for the first time Friday.
Cara Oliver's Hear My Prayer will seek her third victory in five starts over the Gulfstream Park turf course, where she captured the five-furlong Melody of Colors in March.
Irad Ortiz Jr. is scheduled to ride the daughter of The Big Beast for the first time.
Kenwood Racing LLC's Tracy Ann's Legacy will seek her fourth victory on the Gulfstream turf course, over which the 5-year-old daughter of Shackleford has finished in the money in all seven starts.
Edgard Zayas has the call aboard the Kelly Breen trainee.
Compensate, Disieincandyland, Miss Deplorable and Spun Glass round out the field,.
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