Trainer Patrick Biancone had options when deciding on how Diamond Wow would kick off her 3-year-old season Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
The promising 3-year-old filly shares a family trait with multiple graded-stakes winner Diamond Oops that allowed Biancone to choose between the $100,000 Forward Gal (G3), a seven-furlong dash for sophomore fillies on the main track, and the $100,000 Sweetest Chant (G3), a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies, on Saturday's 12-race program that will be headlined by the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3).
Biancone, who owns Diamond Wow with Diamond 100 Racing Club LLC and Amy Dunne, would eventually opt for the Forward Gal.
The daughter Lookin At Lucky is out of a half-sister to the Biancone-trained Diamond Oops, a multiple graded-stakes winner on both turf and dirt. She has already demonstrated signs of uncommon versatility in her short three-race career, in which she debuted with a victory in Aug. 28 turf sprint before capturing the off-the-turf Our Dear Peggy at seven furlongs a month later at Gulfstream. The Kentucky-bred homebred closed out her juvenile campaign with a courageous second-place finish in the Jessamine (G2) at Keeneland, where she lost by only a head after breaking from the No. 13 post.
“We gave her a break and she has grown and developed well. We're happy with the way she's worked,” Biancone said. “It's a comeback race. She is not perhaps 100 percent yet but it's time to come back and prepare for the spring.”
Following the Jessamine, Biancone made the decision to bypass the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) or Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).
“It was coming up a bit quick and she was a bit stiff, and I guess she had a growth spurt. We got lucky to get beat because if we did not get beat by a nose, then we would have gotten invited and we may have been forced to go,” Biancone said. “My owner was very kind to be on the safe side and it was a good thing. It was tough to make the decision but at the end of the day, we were very happy.”
Romero Maragh, who guided her to her two wins at Gulfstream before Mike Smith took over for the Jessamine, returns aboard Diamond Wow.
Allen Stable Inc.'s Radio Days is also scheduled to make her 3-year-old debut in the Forward Gall after going 2-for-2 last season.
“She's a filly we're really excited about. Her first two races have been really good,” Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said. “She's had a little bit of a break now. She's going to run Saturday, and hopefully her future is ahead of her.”
The daughter of Gun Runner won at first asking with a late rally in a six-furlong dash over a sloppy Belmont Park track Oct. 31 before overcoming a bump at the break to win a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance Dec. 2 at Aqueduct by 8 ½ lengths.
“She had always trained well,” McGaughey said. “We were hoping she'd run well first time out – the type of race she ran.”
Dylan Davis, who was aboard for her first two wins, travels from New York to ride Radio Days in the Forward Gal.
Jim Bakke and Gerry Isbister's Girl With a Dream is venturing from Fair Grounds for trainer Brad Cox for the Forward Gal. The daughter of Practical Joke captured the Dec. 27 six-furlong Letellier Memorial at Fair Grounds last time out.
Luis Saez is scheduled to ride Girl With a Dream for the first time Saturday.
Repole Stable's Greatitude is scheduled to make her stakes debut Saturday after graduating by 2 ¾ lengths in her second career start Dec. 19 at Gulfstream. The Todd Pletcher-trained daughter of Dialed In finished second in her Nov. 23 debut at Aqueduct behind McGaughey-trained Kathleen O, who came back to win the Jan. 1 Cash Run Stakes at Gulfstream.
Irad Ortiz Jr. is slated to ride Greatitude for the first time Saturday.
Monarch Stable Inc.'s Last Leaf, who finished fourth against the colts in the Limehouse last time out, returns in the Forward Gal. The Ron Spatz-trained daughter of Not This Time has won on both turf and dirt.
Miguel Vasquez has the call aboard the Last Leaf, who won the Hollywood Beach Stakes on turf against males in September.
Cash Is King LLC and LC Racing LLC's Disco Ebo, a state-bred stakes winner at Parx; and Palm Beach Racing Partnership's She's So Beautiful, who captured the Juvenile Filly Sprint for Florida-breds three starts back; are also entered in the Forward Gal.
