Under an ideal trip from jockey Jose Ortiz, aboard for the first time, Diamond 100 Racing Club's Infinite Diamond kicked off her sophomore season in style with a 2 ¼ length victory in Sunday $100,000 Cash Run at Gulfstream Park.
The one-mile Cash Run for fillies and $100,000 Limehouse sprinting six furlongs were the first two of three stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds on a New Year's Day program highlighted by the $150,000 Mucho Macho Man.
Infinite Diamond ($9.20), who graduated by 14 ½ lengths two starts back at Gulfstream, was racing for the first time since the 1 1/16-mile Alcibiades (G1) last October at Keeneland. The Bee Jersey filly completed the distance in 1:36.70 over a fast main track.
Two-time winner Arella Star, sent off at 25-1, got the jump on her seven rivals and ran an opening quarter-mile of 23.47 seconds with Infinite Diamond tucked in saving ground on the rail and Atthecrossroads to her outside in third.
Arella Star was still in front after a half in 46.40, while Ortiz remained patient waiting for an opening that came once they straightened for home. Infinite Star surged through to take the lead at the top of the stretch and powered home to win by 2 ¼ lengths over late-running Padma. Lynx, winner of the FSS Desert Vixen and Susan's Girl last summer and fall, was third.
“She broke really well. Miguel broke a little better than I did, so I just sat there,” Ortiz said. “There's a long run to the turn so I just let her be there and finally passing the five-eighths [pole] going to the half, Miguel was able to clear me and I just followed him. I was on the rail every step of the way.
“I felt like I could go out and push him a little bit because I had a ton of horse, but I didn't want to move early. I bided my time there, it opened up a little bit and she went through on her own,” he added. “I didn't even have to ask her. I felt like I could have gone outside and won, either way, but the horse did it on her own.”
Infinite Diamond, bred in Kentucky by Charles Fipke from the More Than Ready mare Ready for Gold, fetched $120,000 as a 2-year-old in training last April and debuted two months later at Gulfstream running second in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight.
Upcoming dirt stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Gulfstream include the seven-furlong Forward Gal (G3) Feb. 4, one-mile Davona Dale (G2) March 4 and 1 1/16-mile Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) April 1.
“She was very impressive today, and I think she can have a nice run this year,” Ortiz said. “There's a lot of nice races for her and she likes the track here. Patrick does a great job training her so I'll know she'll be ready when she gets to the starting gate.”
Super Chow Post Third Consecutive Stakes Win In Limehouse
Lea Farms' Super Chow picked up where he left off last year, sprinting to his fourth consecutive victory and third straight in a stakes in the Limehouse.
Ridden by Chantal Sutherland for trainer Jorge Delgado, the Lord Nelson colt covered six furlongs in 1:09.88 over a fast main track.
Sutherland, now 4-0 on Super Chow, including wins in the Bowman's Mill at Keeneland and Inaugural at Tampa Bay Downs to end 2022, hustled Super Chow to the lead from Post 2, going the opening quarter-mile in :22.31 pressed by Two of a Kind. Turbo, winner of the Juvenile Sprint Oct. 29 at Gulfstream, saved ground in third and moved up to second after a half in :44.95.
Super Chow came wide around the far turn and left an opening for Turbo along the inside, and continued to drift out through the stretch but dug in determinedly while racing well wide and held off Turbo by a length for his fifth win from six lifetime starts. His only loss came when he ran third in last summer's Saratoga Special (G3), his second time out.
“The plan was to send the horse no matter what. Chantal managed to get the horse in good position,” Delgado said. “He seems to be getting better with every race. I don't know why but when he runs here, he drifts a little bit. He [must not] like something between the three-eighths [pole] and the quarter pole. It only happens to him here, but he set good fractions and he beat a good bunch of horses.”
Delgado said upcoming targets for Super Chow include Gulfstream's $125,000 Swale (G3) Feb. 4 or the $100,000 Hutcheson March 18.
Super Chow, a son of Lord Nelson out of the Warrior's Reward mare Bonita Mia, was bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm.
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