“It went perfect,” said winning rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. “We didn't want to go head to head, but my filly outbroke all of them so I said, 'I'm gonna go.' From there, she just took me all the way. I didn't expect to be on the lead. It looked like there were a couple of horses coming out of sprint races, but when the gates opened, everything changed. She was on top, so I just said, 'Go ahead.'”

In Italian was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following her front-running 3 1/2-length maiden score at Belmont last May before being sidelined by illness. She returned with a 4 1/4-length tally in a Jan. 12 allowance at Tampa Bay Downs last time out.

“We really liked this horse last year,” Brown said. “She was very impressive at Belmont and then she got a bad case of pneumonia. She had to be stopped on and rehabbed. I want to give Bruce Jackson credit down at Fair Hill. He rehabbed her and sent her back in good shape late in the year at Payson Park. She's back and picking up where she left off and should have a really good career.”

Pedigree Notes:

Florentina, a half-sister to Group 1 winner Gathering (Aus) (Tale of the Cat), has a 2-year-old filly by Kingman (GB). Her 3-year-old colt by that same sire, the unraced Spanish Empire (GB), sold to Tom Magnier for $1.8 million at the 2021 Magic Millions January sale. The mare was bred to Yes Yes Yes (Aus) (Rubick {Aus}) last year.

In Italian became the 146 worldwide graded winner for her sire, Dubawi.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
HONEY FOX S.-GIII, $150,000, Gulfstream, 3-5, 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:35.16, fm.
1–IN ITALIAN (GB), 118, f, 4, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Florentina (Aus) (GSW-Aus, $250,958), by    Redoute's Choice (Aus)
                2nd Dam: Celebria (Aus), by Peintre Celebre
                3rd Dam: Twyla (Aus), by Danehill
    'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES
   WIN. (475,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Peter M. Brant;
B-Fairway Thoroughbreds (GB); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz,
Jr. $87,420. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $157,220. Werk Nick
   Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Wakanaka (Ire), 120, f, 4, Power (GB)–Storyline (Ire), by
Kodiac (GB). (£3,500 Ylg '19 GOFFPR). O-Team Valor
International and Barber, Gary; B-Mrs Jean Brennan (IRE);
T-William I. Mott. $28,200.
3–Navratilova, 123, f, 4, Medaglia d'Oro–Centre Court, by
Smart Strike. O/B-G. Watts Humphrey, Jr.; T-George R. Arnold. $14,100.

Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 1HF. Odds: 2.70, 7.10, 26.40.
Also Ran: Sugar Fix, Jouster, Alms, Bipartisanship (GB), Gift List (GB), Lovely Luvy, Katama Moonlight, Quinoa Tifah.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Dubawi’s In Italian Wins Honey Fox appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The 36^th running of the one-mile Honey Fox for older turf females was the sixth of nine stakes, eight graded, worth $1.475 million on a blockbuster 14-race program headlined by the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) for 3-year-olds on the road to the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa March 27, and $200,000 Davona Dale (G2) featuring the seasonal debut of 2-year-old filly champion Vequist.

With regular rider Tyler Gaffalione aboard for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, Got Stormy ($4.20) completed the distance in 1:35.52 over a firm course to earn her 11^th career victory and push her bankroll further over the $2 million mark. Sent off as the even-money favorite in a field of eight, Got Stormy was racing for the first time since running fifth against males in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) Nov. 7.

It was the second win of the day for Gaffalione and helped provide of measure of relief for Casse. Earlier in the day, Casse ran second by a nose with Olympic Runner in the $125,000 Canadian Turf (G3) and saw Spanish Loveaffair disqualified from first to fourth in the $100,000 Herecomesthebride (G3).

Gaffalione settled Got Stormy in second behind Claiming Crown Distaff Dash winner Jakarta, who finished third to Got Stormy after setting the pace in the Franklin County (G3) last fall at Keeneland. Jakarta posted splits of 24.29 seconds, 48.76 and 1:12.72 and maintained the lead turning for home. Got Stormy ranged up in the straight and drew even inside the eighth pole as Zofelle began rolling on the outside, setting up the spirited bid to the wire.

Feel Glorious was part of the photo finish, running third, with Jakarta fourth and Art of Almost fifth.

$125,000 Honey Fox (G3) Quotes

Winning trainer Mark Casse (Got Stormy): “She had a great spot. Just kind of what we thought, we thought the horse that was on the lead would be there and she was sitting nice. She kicked and you could see a little bit of the rustiness today. She kicked, but she didn't kick as hard as she does sometimes. I think she'll build from this and get better.”

“I just wanted to get over this. I called [Spendthrift GM] Ned [Toffey] and said I figured out where I wanted to come back and I told him, and he said, 'Fine.' We'll see what's next. A lot of it depends on weather. She can't go over a mile, and it needs to be hard if it's a mile.”

“She was in the sale and I knew what the reserve was, and when she went over it my wife and I were watching from the office and it was sad. It was sad. And then about 20 minutes later I got a phone call that I wasn't expecting and [Spendthrift GM] Ned Toffey said to me, 'Let me ask you a dumb question. We'd like to run her another year, would you like to train her?' We went from being sad to very happy. We're excited we were able to deliver. I thought maybe last year getting her ready for her first race back I didn't do such a good job, and this year we cranked her up a little more.”

“I was really confident with her, as long as the turf stayed hard. She should build from this; it's just which direction do we go. She can do a little bit of anything. I don't know. We may sprint her. Never over a mile though.”

“They don't come around very often. We got her after a couple starts and she just got better and better. People always ask me what go ther better and it was just her confidence and much better on the racetrack. She used to be very nervous and now wherever you take her, she gets out of the van, looks around, and says, 'Where have you taken me now?'”

Winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione (Got Stormy): “She's a tremendous filly. I've been able to get to know her the past few years and I have a lot of confidence every time I'm on her. She shows up every time. Really all the credit goes to Mark and his team to get her ready off the layoff. She fired a big one today.”

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“She had a great spot,” said trainer Mark Casse. “Just kind of what we thought, we thought the horse that was on the lead would be there and she was sitting nice. She kicked and you could see a little bit of the rustiness today. She kicked, but she didn't kick as hard as she does sometimes. I think she'll build from this and get better.”

He continued,  “I was really confident with her, as long as the turf stayed hard. She should build from this; it's just which direction do we go. She can do a little bit of anything. I don't know. We may sprint her. Never over a mile though.”

“She's a tremendous filly,” said jockey Tyler Gaffalione. “I've been able to get to know her the past few years and I have a lot of confidence every time I'm on her. She shows up every time. Really all the credit goes to Mark and his team to get her ready off the layoff. She fired a big one today.”

Winner of the GI Fourstardave H. and GI Matriarch S. in 2019, Got Stormy was second in both the GI Woodbine Mile and GI Breeders' Cup Mile that season. Off the board in last term's GIII Endeavour S., she was a close second in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile last winter and was fourth in both the GIII Beaugay S. and GIII Poker S. Got Stormy finished second when attempting to defend her Fourstardave title last summer, but captured the GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint S. next out Sept. 12. Rallying to victory in the GIII Buffalo Trace Franklin County S. next out at Keeneland Oct. 9, the speedy chestnut was fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint S. at the venue Nov. 7 and went through the ring at Fasig-Tipton the next day, bringing $2.75 million from Spendthrift Farm. They returned her to Mark Casse's barn and My Racehorse, who teamed up with Spendthrift on Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief), joined in as a partner.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
HONEY FOX S.-GIII, $125,000, Gulfstream, 2-27, 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:35.52, fm.
1–GOT STORMY, 123, m, 6, by Get Stormy
1st Dam: Super Phoebe, by Malabar Gold
2nd Dam: Air France, by French Deputy
3rd Dam: Twin Propeller, by Known Fact

($23,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP; $45,000 2yo '17 EASMAY; $2,750,000
5yo '20 FTKNOV). O-My Racehorse CA, LLC & Spendthrift Farm
LLC; B-Mt. Joy Stables, Pope, Pope Jr. & Marc McLean (KY);
T-Mark E. Casse; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $75,175. Lifetime Record:
MGISW, 27-11-5-3, $2,096,553. *1/2 to Sky Gold (Successful
Appeal), SP, $151,020. Werk Nick Rating: A. 
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Zofelle (Ire), 123, m, 5, Zoffany (Ire)–Height of Elegance (Ire),
by Galileo (Ire). (27,000gns 3yo '19 TATJUL). O-Heider Family
Stables LLC; B-Fullbury & Minch Bloodstock (IRE); T-Brendan P.
Walsh. $24,250.
3–Feel Glorious (GB), 120, m, 5, Bated Breath (GB)–Self
Centred (GB), by Medicean (GB). (52,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT;
130,000gns 2yo '18 TATAHI). O-Reeves Thoroughbred Racing
& Tango Uniform Racing LLC; B-Mrs E. C. Roberts (GB);
T-Christophe Clement. $12,125.
Margins: NO, NK, NK. Odds: 1.10, 1.50, 11.20.
Also Ran: Jakarta, Art of Almost, Ricetta (GB), Secret Time (Ger), Bienville Street. Scratched: Nomizar. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Pedigree Notes:
Got Stormy is the only Grade I winner for her sire Get Stormy and is one of six graded winners and nine black-type scorers for the stallion. Her dam Super Phoebe is a half-sister to MGSW & MGISP Smooth Air (Smooth Jazz) and GSW Overdriven (Tale of the Cat). The 17-year-old mare is also responsible for the sophomore colt Got Curly (Super Saver); a juvenile colt by Mohaymen, who brought $315,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October Sale; and a yearling colt by Bolt d'Oro. She was bred back to Uncle Mo.

The post Got Stormy Gets the Bob in Honey Fox appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“We're very pleased with her. Last year I felt like maybe I didn't have her quite as ready for her first start when we ran her, and the one thing I did was I tried to get her ready on the dirt,” Casse said. “So, this year I changed my mind and I sent her down and she's been breezing over the turf. She loves to breeze on the turf. She should be a good and ready.”

Zofelle (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) was a close second in the Sand Springs S. here last March and completed the trifecta in the GIII Mint Julep S. at Churchill May 30. Tiring to fifth after a wide trip behind Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in Belmont's GI Just a Game S. June 27, the bay kicked off this term with a late-rallying score in the GIII Marshua's River S. over course and distance Jan. 23.

MSW Feel Glorious (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) has been knocking at the door of a graded success for most of her career. Third in both the GII New York S. and GIII Matchmaker S. last summer, the bay captured Saratoga's Perfect Sting S. in August, but failed to fire when seventh in Belmont's GIII Noble Damsel S. Sept. 26. Fourth in that venue's GIII Athenia S. Oct. 25, she won the Forever Together S. at Aqueduct last time Nov. 27.

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“I knew that there was a reserve on her. My wife and I watched from our office that night, and when she went well over the reserve, I said, 'Well …'” Casse recalled. “There was a sad moment.”

The feeling didn't last long. Shortly after the hammer fell, Casse's phone rang. At the other end was Ned Toffey, general manager since 2004 of Spendthrift Farm, which spent $2.75 million to acquire the multi-millionaire daughter of Get Stormy.

“I got a call about 15 minutes later from Ned Toffey and he said, 'I'm going to ask you a real dumb question. We bought her and we're going to run her another year, do you want to train her?'” Casse said. “I just laughed and I said, 'Yeah, that is a dumb question.'”

Got Stormy won 10 of 26 starts and more than $2 million in purses for Casse and previous owner Gary Barber. Eight of those wins came in stakes, five of them graded, including the Fourstardave (G1) over males and Matriarch (G1) in 2019.

“I had a conversation with Mark really right after we signed the ticket,” Toffey said. “Mark was really happy to have her rejoin his stable and he assured me that he felt like she would be more than ready to move forward and have a good year this year. Of course, we won't put her in a spot to do anything she can't do, and Mark's a great caretaker. Certainly the way she's worked has only heightened our excitement for what we'll see from her this year.”

Got Stormy will begin her fifth and final season of racing Saturday in the $125,000 Honey Fox (G3) at Gulfstream Park. The 36th running of the one-mile Honey Fox for fillies and mares 4 and up is among nine stakes, eight graded, worth $1.475 million on a spectacular 14-race program.

Headlining the card is the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) for 3-year-olds on the road to the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, and the $200,000 Davona Dale (G2) for 3-year-old fillies, featuring the season debut of 2020 juvenile filly champion Vequist.

First race post time is 11:30 a.m.

Got Stormy will be returning to Gulfstream for the first time since winning an optional claiming allowance in March 2019. It is where the daughter of Grade 3 turf-winning mare Malabar Gold broke her maiden in her third lifetime start in February 2018.

“We're very pleased with her. Last year I felt like maybe I didn't have her quite as ready for her first start when we ran her, and the one thing I did was I tried to get her ready on the dirt,” Casse said. “So, this year I changed my mind and I sent her down and she's been breezing over the turf. She loves to breeze on the turf. She should be a good and ready.”

Given a freshening following her fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) Nov. 7, and a pair of dirt workouts at Casse's training center in Ocala, Get Stormy joined his string at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training center in Palm Beach County, where she has breezed five times since mid-January. Two of them were bullets, a five-furlong move in 57.35 seconds Feb. 5 and a half-mile work in 47.45 Feb. 12.

“She's doing well. She got a little break after the Breeders' Cup and Mark's just gradually brought her back along,” Toffey said. “In all of our conversations he's just been thrilled with how she's been working, so we're as excited as everybody else is to see what she does.”

Got Stormy raced eight times in 2020 with two wins and two seconds, finishing fourth in the Endeavour (G3) in her debut. She continued to race between a mile and a mile and a sixteenth without success, including a runner-up finish in defense of her Fourstardave title, before Casse cut her back to sprinting.

She responded by winning the 6 ½-furlong Ladies Sprint (G3) over a soft course at Kentucky Downs and the 5 ½-furlong Franklin County (G3) at Keeneland leading up to the Breeders' Cup, where she raced in mid-pack and wound up fifth, beaten two lengths.

“I'm anxious to see what the year brings for her [because] 2020 was a crazy year for a lot of reasons,” Casse said, “but for her, it was about weather, bad weather, and so many times running her on a track that she didn't care for. And she now has a new dimension; she can sprint, as well. So it opens up some options.

“The biggest thing for her is, I don't want to run her over a mile,” he added. “If she is going to run a mile, it has to be very fast.”

Got Stormy was not the only big-ticket purchase for Spendthrift last fall. They also went to $9.5 million for Monomoy Girl, the champion older mare of 2020 and champion 3-year-old filly of 2018 who is also back in training for one more year.

“We just thought it was a great opportunity for us to acquire some really good mares that eventually will wind up in our broodmare band. [Got Stormy] was one of a group that we bought that we felt could really upgrade our broodmare band and that we'd have a little fun with running for one more year before they come to Spendthrift. These kind don't come around very often,” Toffey said. “She's a pretty exciting type of mare, that's for sure.”

Regular rider Tyler Gaffalione will be aboard from Post 2 in a field of nine that includes main-track-only entrant Nomizar.

Casse also entered D. J. Stable's three-time graded-stakes placed Art of Almost. The Dansili mare will be opening her 5-year-old season after capping 2020 running second in the 1 ¼-mile Maple Leaf (G3) Nov. 7 at Woodbine and third in the 1 1/16-mile My Charmer Dec. 12 at Gulfstream. Hall of Famer John Velazquez rides from outside Post 9.

Heider Family Stables' Zofelle returned from 211 days between races to be a popular winner of the one-mile Marshua's River (G3) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream. It was the 5-year-old mare's first start since finishing fifth on the Just a Game (G1) last June at Belmont Park, after which she was given a break. Second in the one-mile Sand Springs last winter in her only other Gulfstream race, she will be ridden from Post 6 by Irad Ortiz Jr.

Three Diamonds Farm's Jakarta will be stretching out to a mile for the first time since winning the Powder Break last May at Gulfstream. Third to Got Stormy in the Franklin County, the 6-year-old Bustin Stones mare won the Claiming Crown Distaff Dash Dec. 3 and was fourth in the Abundantia Jan. 1, both five furlongs over Gulfstream's turf.

“She's stretching out a little bit, but she's doing well so we're looking forward to it,” Nolan Ramsey, assistant to trainer Mike Maker, said. “She's one of those horses where she always finds herself on the front end. I don't know that she's necessarily quick enough to go five-eighths down here. Speed seems to hold down here, so we're kind of hoping we might get things our way. We'd like to try her at least going a mile down here.”

Kendrick Carmouche, in from New York to ride Fire At Will in the Fountain of Youth, has the assignment on Jakarta from Post 8.

Completing the field are multiple stakes winner Feel Glorious; Bienville Street, neck winner of the 1 1/16-mile Sunshine Filly & Mare Turf Jan. 16 at Gulfstream; Secret Time, runner-up in the Cellars Shiraz Nov. 7 at Gulfstream Park West last out; and Ricetta, Group 3-placed in England last summer.

The post Got Stormy ‘Good And Ready’ To Debut For Spendthrift In Honey Fox appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The 6-year-old daughter of Get Stormy breezed a half-mile in 48.40 seconds while tuning up for her scheduled 2021 debut in the mile turf stakes on the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) undercard.

“I'm going to move her to Palm Meadows soon so she can start breezing over the turf,” Casse said.

Got Stormy, who broke her maiden over the Gulfstream turf course Feb. 25, 2018, beat the boys in the 2019 Fourstardave (G1) at Saratoga and went on to win the 2019 Matriarch (G1) at Del Mar.

Last season, Got Stormy won the Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint (G3) and the Franklin County (G3) at Keeneland back to back before completing her 2021 campaign with a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Keeneland.

Got Stormy, who campaigned for Gary Barber, was sold for $2,750,000 to Spendthrift Farm at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale in November.

“She went through the sale. She has a new owner – Spendthrift bought her. We brought her to Ocala, as we always do. She had time off. She's ready,” Casse said. “She gets so excited when she starts training and she worked extremely well this morning.”

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