Stonehedge LLC's Go Jo Jo Go took a little while to really get going, saving her very best for start of the 2020 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series at Gulfstream Park.
The Michael Yates-trained daughter of Khozan, who graduated with an upset victory in the $100,000 Desert Vixen Aug. 1 in her fourth career start, is sitting on 'go' for Saturday's $200,000 Susan's Girl.
The Susan's Girl, a seven-furlong event for 2-year-old fillies, will co-headline Saturday's Florida Sire Stakes program at Gulfstream Park with the $200,000 Affirmed, a seven-furlong open division of the series for juveniles sired by accredited Florida stallions. The $75,000 Proud Man, a mile turf stakes for 2-year-olds and the $75,000 Sharp Susan, a mile turf stakes for juvenile fillies, will be supporting stakes on a 12-race program with a noon first-race post time. The Susan's Girl will be included in the Rainbow 6 sequence Saturday, when a mandatory payout is scheduled.
Go Jo Jo Go, who gave Gilbert Campbell's Stonehedge Farm its 14th success in the tradition-rich Florida Sire Stakes series while scoring at 21-1 in the six-furlong Desert Vixen, had more than her share of misfortune in the first three starts of her career. After clipping heels and unseating her rider as the 8-5 favorite in her May 14th debut, Go Jo Jo Go experienced bumping at the start of her next two races in which she finished third May 20 and fifth July 11.
Although the Stonehedge homebred once again experienced bumping at the start of the Desert Vixen, she rallied five-wide on the turn and drew off to a 1 ¼-length victory over favorite Princess Secret.
“The [Sire] Stakes were kind of always in the plans. It didn't look like she was a contender going into the first leg, but the racing experience all helps with young horses. One or two races don't define their career, even if they're bad,” Yates said. “She showed a lot of positive things in her first couple of races that gave us enough encouragement to take a shot
Although Go Jo Jo Go took bettors by surprise in the Desert Vixen, her trainer was far from shocked by her breakthrough performance.
“She's a horse from Day 1, when I got her from Stonehedge, she's been very forward. She wants to do a lot every time she goes to the track, which makes her a little difficult to train, as well, because she wants to do so much all the time,” Yates said, “But we think we've figured her out. Time will tell.”
Yates doesn't expect the seven furlongs of the Susan's Girl to pose any problem for Go Jo Jo Go.
“She finished really well last time. Hopefully we can get away from the gate in good order and just kind of sit on her and let her make her one run down the lane,” Yates said. “That's the plan.”
Leonel Reyes, who rode five winners on Sunday's program at Gulfstream Park, has the return mount aboard Go Jo Jo Go.
Stonehedge, which has four contenders for the Affirmed, including $100,000 Dr. Fager winner Breeze On By, will also be represented in the Susan's Girl by Ralph Nicks-trained Oh Deborah.
The homebred daughter of Winslow Homer won at first asking July 19, stalking the pacesetter before drawing clear by 3 ½ lengths.
“She's an obvious closer off her first race. We're adding blinkers and we'll see how she does. There's a lot of time between races. She kicked the [stall] wall and hurt her hind foot or she would have run in the first leg. That's why she was scratched,” Nicks said. “She's training well. She acts like a horse that wants to run on down the racetrack.”
Samy Camacho has the return mount for the Susan's Girl.
Princess Secret, owned by trainer Daniel Pita, looms as the Stonehedge's most serious obstacle to capturing another Florida Sire Stakes victory. The daughter of Khozan was victorious in her May 7 debut with a front-running four-length victory. She met the boys in the first juvenile allowance of the Spring/Summer Meet July 5, finishing second, 1 ½ lengths behind highly regarded Papetu after getting bumped around at the start. Princess Secret set the pace in the Desert Vixen before being overtaken by Go Jo Jo Go inside the final 1/16th of a mile.
Pita has given the return call to Miguel Vasquez.
Arindel and trainer Juan Alvarado will be represented by two daughters of Brethren, Freak and Lyrical, in the Susan's Girl. Freak, who finished third in her July 11 debut, made a sweeping move to the lead before weakening late in the Desert Vixen, finishing third, a nose behind Princess Secret for second. Lyrical, who broke her maiden in her second start, was an early factor in the Desert Vixen before fading to sixth.
Hector Berrios will return aboard Freak, while Emisael Jaramillo has the call on Lyrical.
Alluramore, who is owned by trainer Steven Dwoskin, will return in the Susan's Girl after finishing an even fourth in her career debut in the Desert Vixen under Victor Lebron, who has the call Saturday.
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